Heart Valve Prototype

Evidence of Work

Heart Valve Prototype Report

In this project, we were tasked with creating a prototype of a heart valve. The purpose was to practice the engineering and design cycle, including brainstorming, designing, conceptual sketching, prototyping, and testing. Our artificial heart valve consists of two overlapping layers of rubber, which would seal under low or neutral pressure, and allow flow under increased pressure. Our testing consisted of filling the tube that our prototype was attached to with water and blowing on it to add pneumatic pressure. The goal was to have the valve not leak while the tube was filled with water, but spray water when pressure was added.

Content

  • Young's Modulus

    • Stress divided by strain

    • Dictates elasticity of a material

  • Conceptual sketch

    • Identifies elements, shows how elements form subsystems, and how subsystems create a system

  • Technical sketch

    • Isometric

      • 3 axes form 120 degrees with each other

    • Axonometric

      • Horizontal and vertical axes are on the same scale, while the vertical axis is reduced for perspective

    • Perspective

      • As the human eye would see it

    • Orthographic (oblique)

      • Top, front, side, etc

Reflection

This was one of our more unusual projects, as we had never created anything that would hypothetically go into a human; only outside objects that would, for example, generate renewable power, or travel a very specific distance. This time, we were tasked with creating a prototype heart valve, and using our Critical Thinking skills, we were able to devise a way to have the valve seal under neutral pressure, and allow flow under pressure. Near the end of this project, we had to use our Collaboration skills to finish our report outside of school.

That being said, despite successfully collaborating, we could have had better Communication. Our text reply times were unreliable, and it would have been best if we had all started a voice call while working. As I alluded to above, this was a direct consequence of our subpar Conscientious Learner skills. We did not manage our time as well as we could have, and eventually had to finish outside of school as a result. Holistically, this project was a success.