The mechanical heart valves are basically built from materials such as metals, polymers, and ceramics. After investigation and development of artificial heart valve for years, the basic material properties of valves were identified in order to improve the performance of valves. The particular properties can be summarized as below:
- Inert, which neither absorb blood constituents nor release foreign particle into human body
- Non-degradable in the biological environment
- High mechanical wear resistance to withstand repeated cycles of the valve
- Minimize the opportunity of deposition of platelet and thrombosis
- Able to sterilization
- Easy to shape
- Bring minimum damage to blood cells and the endothelial tissue of the cardiovascular structure around the valve
- Ability to impact hemodynamics
Titanium
The titanium is known as a reliable material in wide range of biomedical applications due to its properties.
- The titanium is a high strength material with low density. The strength of titanium alloy depends on the content of impurities
- It possesses a very low thermal and electrical conductivity
- Good bend and fatigue strength
- Low elastic modulus
- Shape memory property, the ability to revert to original shape when the deformation is conducted below transformation temperature
- Excellent resistance to crack propagation
- Completely inert and corrosion resistance
- Thrombosis resistance
Biocompatibility Test conducted on Titanium & Results
Pyrolytic Carbon
Pyrolytic carbon (LTI carbon) usually used as biomaterials for inner orifice and bileaflet or disc.
- Does not provoke blood clotsExcellent Mechanical durability to enhance the device’s lifetime
- Blood compatibility as it ableto absorb proteins from blood with high speed without triggering a protein denaturing reaction
- High strength which is able to withstand the mechanical activity of heart
- Excellent fatigue and wears resistance
- Ability of highly polished
- Electrical conductivity which enables it to repel the blood cells
- Existence of flaws in the atom bonding of pyrolytic carbon mitigates the fragility
- Better toughness and strength compared to graphite and glassy carbon
- Inert
- Thrombosis resistance
Polyester
Chemical Structure of polyester
Polyester always used in sewing ring or suture ring which used to attach the artificial valve to the human heart.
- Light in weight
- Strong
- High in stretching, friction, and shrinking resistance
- Good wear resistance even under poor weather conditions
- Naturally clear and colorless
- High resistance to most solvents, salts and acids
- Resist the chemical deterioration
- Heat resistance
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