Fatigue testing system for prosthetic devices

A testing system for simultaneous accelerated cyclic testing of one or more valved prosthetic devices comprising

• a test chamber;
• a signal generator that outputs variable pressure waveforms for controlling a rate of change of a differential pressure load across the one or more valved prosthetic devices over a cycle;
• a drive motor configured to operate in response to the variable pressure waveforms;
• and
• a fluid displacement member connected with and driven by the drive motor to provide a pressure source that creates variable pressure gradients on fluid in the test chamber in response to the variable pressure waveforms.

A method for accelerated cyclic testing of a valved prosthetic device in a fluid chamber comprising

• generating an asymmetric waveform over a test cycle;
• driving a motor acyclically in response to the asymmetric waveform;
• and
• reciprocally moving a fluid displacement member connected with and driven by the drive motor to provide a pressure source that increases and decreases a pressure on fluid in the fluid chamber whereby acyclic fluid pressures are maintained throughout the fluid chamber;
• and
• controlling a rate of change of a differential pressure load across the one or more valved prosthetic devices over the test cycle.