A team of researchers has been testing a mechanical heart valve created in their lab which may, after clinical trials, supersede mechanical valves currently available for people living with heart disease. Their research determines that MHVs may outperform tissue valves under certain conditions.
The researchers put their iValve together with another developing valve called Triflo MHV. These two were fully tested during the study with three other valves that are similar to the current industry standard.
In the lab, each valve was tested for flow velocity using a pulse duplicator system that mimics real heart conditions. Each test included 10 cycles, and each valve underwent multiple tests. Results indicate that the iValve and Triflo achieved comparable pressure ratios and significantly lower mean and peak reverse blood flow values than the traditional MHVs. This means blood can flow more smoothly, putting less stress on blood cells, which could reduce the need for blood thinners.
Unlike most mechanical heart valvies, the iValve allows blood to flow through a single open central orifice, like tissue valves. Other valves, including the Triflo MHV, divide the flow into smaller streams, which may increase the risk of flow-related complications.
This gives the iValve a potential advantage in terms of safer, smoother blood flow, says Dr. Goode. The iValve is now being prepared for animal and clinical trials, bringing it one step closer to becoming a reality.
