Mechanical Valve Hypothesis

Title:

Introduction of a Flexible Polymeric Heart Valve Prosthesis with Special Design for Mitral Position

Layman-friendly summary:

The traditional method to replace the damaged heart valve is using mechanical valve or biological valve. Mechanical valve can be last long but blood-thinning medicines need to be taken for the rest of the person’s life to prevent blood clotting around where the mechanical valve placed. Heart valve prostheses are introduced with

The mitral valve lies between the left atrium and left ventricle of a heart. It has two leaflets, or cusps and opens and closes when pulled by its supporting struts that are attached to muscles in the left ventricle, which is different from aortic valve.

Scientific summary:

Heart

Blood flow around the mechanical valve results in high sheer stresses, which can result in platelet activation and a higher risk for thrombosis on the valve surface and a subsequent risk for embolism (Maggie N. T el al). Also, there will be the risk of tissue overgrowth, infection, anti-coagulant related haemorrhage and valve failure due material fatigue or chemical change (Yee Han K et al, 2011). Besides, person who take blood-thinning medicine should avoid vigorous activities that can be injured easily as their blood takes longer time to clot (Suzanne R, 2015). Clicking sound of the valve closing can be heard too (Moritz A el at,

Daebritz et al, 2003).

Hence, bileaflet PCU heart valve prosthesis with special design for the mitral position was presented. Moreover, the term “biomechanical” valve was introduced as well, because it is completely synthetical, but flexible (Sabine H. Daebritz et al, 2003).

Methodology:

In Vitro Testing

Fatigue testing: 700 working cycles/min (38 000 000 cycles represent 1 year of normal human function). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Replacement Heart Valve Guidance (Version 4.1, 1994) requires that while biological heart valve prostheses (BHV) must be tested at least 200 million cycles (equivalent to 5 years in vivo) in pulsatile flow simulators (Po-Chien Lu et al, 2003), (K. Mouneimné et al, 2010). The heart valve was examined weekly for damages or degradation (Jay M. Reimera et al, 2015).

In Vivo Testing

Jersey calves were chosen for animal testing as they are extreme calcification model and an extreme hemodynamic workload for the valves (Deon Bezuidenhout et al,