Heart Valve

Introduction

This was a multi-part project that took place over a 3 month period. The first couple of steps were to research the main functions of the heart and familiarize ourselves with its functions. Later on, we learned about Young's Modulus and how to calculate it from testing different materials. Finally, we devloped a model to replicate the functions of the heart.

The aortic valve is one of your four heart valves. It controls blood flow into your aorta and keeps blood moving in one direction. The aortic valve is located between and connects the left ventricle (the heart chamber that pumps blood from your heart to the rest of your body) and the aorta (the artery that carries blood away from your heart).This valve is one of two semilunar valves. Semilunar valves connect your heart ventricles (lower chambers) and arteries. The aortic valve opens to let blood flow from your left ventricle to your aorta. It closes to prevent blood from flowing in the wrong direction. The closed valve keeps blood from leaking from your aorta back into your heart. The aortic valve has three sections made of collagen. These sections are called leaflets, or cusps. In a healthy heart, the leaflets open wide to allow blood to flow through. Then, they come tightly together to prevent backflow.

Evidence of work

Below is the attached report with images, videos, and discussion surrounding the project as a whole.

Conclusion

Through this project, we had to adapt and overcome many challenges. Given the shorter period of time to complete because we spent so much time working on our Capstone, we had to work very diligently to complete this project. We felt that if we had spent more time gathering and brainstorming about the correct materials, our model would have worked better. But we did successfully produce an effective model reflecting the function of the aortic valve. We could have improved our conscientious learning skills, such as managing time effectively, goal-setting, and self regulation. But we did execute great collaboration skills as all of our group members divided the work to contribute to the success of our project and stayed motivated to accomplish our aortic valve model. We also utilized critical thinking throughout the project, using evidence and reasoning to guide our decision making and synthesizing knowledge we learned to generate creative solutions and ideas.