The Valves
Designing a reliable and effective artificial heart valve, one as efficient as a human valve, has proven to be a formidable task. Stumbling blocks to success included finding biocompatible materials to avoid rejection by the patient’s body. Tissue valves were one answer. Made from the biological tissue of pig valves and the tissue surrounding a cow’s heart, they must be kept in a sealed container with fluid to maintain viability.
Another hurdle is developing an efficient and structurally sound device that can withstand years of wear. Innovative materials such as Pyrolytic carbon, silicone, Teflon and Dacron proved compatible with the body.
Also challenging is designing the valve so that it does not cause harm to the body, such as destroying blood cells or creating clots and thromboembolism. Refinements to shape and design have allowed blood to move more effectively through valves.
*Unless otherwise indicated, artifacts are Gift of Manny Villafaña
St. Jude Medical Valve, 1979
This example of a bileaflet valve pivots on hinges. Except for the sewing ring, the valve is made entirely of Pyrolytic carbon.
Cooley-Cutter Biconical Valve, 1973
Over time the design of this valve changed from a silicone disk to a diamond-shaped poppet.
Hufnagel Trileaflet Aortic Valve, around 1967
This Dacron and silicone valve was an attempt to replicate a natural heart valve.
Starr-Edwards Valve Prosthesis, around 1967
This ball-and-cage valve was the first successful mechanical valve to replace a natural valve.
University of Cape Town Aortic Valve, 1965
This valve is known as the toilet plunger valve.
Goosen Mitral Valve, around 1964
This valve was never implanted in humans but was tested on animals.
Smeloff-Cutter Valve, after 1966
The thick and flattened titanium struts of this valve made clotting of the blood more likely.
Lillehei-Kaster Omnicarbon Valve, 1970
This is an example of an early pivoting-disc valve.
Lillehei-Nakib Toroidal Disc Valve, 1967–1970
This valve has a toroidal, or donut-shaped, design.
Bjork-Shiley Valve, around 1977
The soldered struts of this valve could fracture, and were later replaced with a one-piece ring and strut.
Braunwald-Cutter Valves, 1968
This valve was designed by Dr. Nina Starr Braunwald. It shows severe wear to the Dacron-covered struts by the silicone ball.
DeBakey-Surgitool Aortic Valve, around 1968
The ball of this valve is coated with Pyrolytic carbon and the struts are titanium.
Gott-Daggett Valve, around 1964
This butterfly valve was used for both mitral and aortic valve replacements.
Lemole-Cooley Mitral Valve, 1965
This valve is oval-shaped, like the mitral valve itself.
Kay-Shiley Type I Mitral Valve, around 1965
The disc in this valve is made of a radiolucent silicone rubber.
Hall-Kaster (Medtronic-Hall) Valve, 1977
This valve is an example of a pivoting disc heart valve.
Schimert-Cutter Valve, around 1967
Known as the “toilet seat," this valve was never implanted and never went into production.
Wada-Cutter Mitral Valve, around 1970
This is a hingeless, low-profile tilting disc valve for replacing the mitral valve.
ATS Medical Open-Pivot® Bileaflet Mitral Heart Valve, 1997
The materials used in making this valve are pyrolytic carbon, graphite, tungsten, polyester and titanium. It was approved for use by the FDA in 2000.
Hufnagel Intracardiac Valve, 1947
This plastic valve invented by pioneering heart surgeon Dr. Charles Hufnagel was placed in the descending aorta without removing the patient's natural valve.
Gift of Charles A. Hufnagel, M.D.
