Flow-induced platelet activation in a St. Jude mechanical heart valve, a trileaflet polymeric heart valve, and a St. Jude tissue valve

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-1-2005

Department

Mechanical Engineering

Abstract

Polymer heart valves have been under investigation since the 1960s, but their success has been hampered by an overall lack of durability mainly due to calcification of the leaflets and a relatively high rate of thromboembolic complications. A new polymer (Quatromer) trileaflet design was tested for its thrombogenic potential and was compared to that of existing prosthetic heart valves routinely implanted in patients: a St. Jude Medical bileaflet mechanical heart valve (MHV) and a St. Jude porcine bioprosthetic tissue valve. The valves were mounted in a left ventricular assist device and the procoagulant activity of the platelets was measured using a platelet activation state (PAS) assay. The PAS measurements indicated that the platelet activation level induced by the polymeric valve was very similar to that induced by the St. Jude Medical MHV and the St. Jude tissue valve. No significant difference was observed between the three valves, indicating that they have a comparable thrombogenic potential. © 2005 International Center for Artificial Organs and Transplantation.

DOI

10.1111/j.1525-1594.2005.29109.x

First Page

826

Last Page

831

Publication Title

Artificial Organs

Comments

At the time of publication, Richard T. Schoephoerster was affiliated with Florida International University.

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