Uploaded May 2017 | Updated September 2026, 2 minutes ago
Video by: Patrick Murphy, Connor Headley, Christopher Kaylor, Albert Chang
Artificial heart valves are a groundbreaking discovery that have improved the lives of patients living with heart conditions and even made life possible for those born with serious heart conditions. The heart is an extraordinary mechanism that must perform under enormous amounts of stress. In order to attempt to emulate the natural perfection of the cardiovascular engine, the materials used to make artificial heart valves must be chosen very particularly. We will discuss a specific material used in artificial heart valves called pyrolytic carbons. Pyrolytic carbons have many properties that make them very conducive for use in biological systems and under large amounts of stress, like the heart. This project will explore the evolution of artificial heart valves, the process of creating artificial heart valves, and the various types of heart valves that are currently in use today. Specifically, we will be diving into mechanical heart valves with a focus on the qualities that make pyrolytic carbons so effective in this role.
Pyrolytic carbon is structurally very similar to graphite in that they both consist of layers of carbon atoms that are covalently bonded to one another, forming multiple hexagonal shapes. These carbon layers are then held together through weak, interlayer bonding. The most significant difference between pyrolytic carbons and graphite is that the carbon layers in pyrolytic carbon are disordered, while the carbon layers in graphite are very organized. This unique structure is a result of the fluidized bed process used to make pyrolytic carbons. The resulting disorganized structure creates distortions and wrinkles within the pyrolytic carbon that make them more durable than graphite. The most important qualifications for any biomaterial is that it must be strong, durable, wear-resistant, and biocompatible. The structure and resulting properties of pyrolytic carbons make it the perfect biomaterial in the creation of artificial heart valves.
Works Cited:
sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/000862238590226X
sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013468602008459
sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0022311571900067
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2440402
hindawi.com/journals/isrn/2013/728791
nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp078175#t=article
Images
heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/HeartValveProblemsandDisease/Types-of-Replacement-Heart-Valves_UCM_451175_Article.jsp#.WNStqXQrJZg
http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~nag38/History.html
azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=1463
madehow.com/Volume-6/Artificial-Heart-Valve.html
youtube.com/watch?v=DzoLce84cag&t=38s
youtube.com/watch?v=gQvGlwM4lqs&t=57s
organdonor.gov/statistics-stories/statistics.html
jtd.amegroups.com/article/view/3738/html
unos.org/data
teachmeanatomy.info/thorax/organs/heart/heart-valves
cardiosmart.org/heartvalvedisease
ketolife.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Arterial-calcium-plaque.jpg
intermountainhealthcare.org/-/media/images/education/heart-care/aortic-stenosis.jpg?la=en
media.npr.org/assets/img/2015/05/04/pig-tales_9780393240245-1-_wide-ff64be1d4945228dd4bf7f4a10cbc7b08ff9ada5.jpg?s=1400
animalcorner.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/cows-1.jpg
heart-valve-surgery.com/Images/restart-heart.jpg
madehow.com/Volume-6/Artificial-Heart-Valve.html
Materials_clip_image002.jpg
Onxlti-py-carbon-illustration.gif
cryolife.com/products/contract-manufacturing/on-x-pyrolytic-ca
thrombocyte.com/what-is-thrombosis
cryolife.com/products/on-x-heart-valves/tissue-vs-mechanical-heart-valve
organdonor.gov/statistics-stories/statistics.html
jtd.amegroups.com/article/view/3738/html
youtube.com/watch?v=gJpT_wHZeF8
Video by: Patrick Murphy, Connor Headley, Christopher Kaylor, Albert Chang
Artificial heart valves are a groundbreaking discovery that have improved the lives of patients living with heart conditions and even made life possible for those born with serious heart conditions. The heart is an extraordinary mechanism that must perform under enormous amounts of stress. In order to attempt to emulate the natural perfection of the cardiovascular engine, the materials used to make artificial heart valves must be chosen very particularly. We will discuss a specific material used in artificial heart valves called pyrolytic carbons. Pyrolytic carbons have many properties that make them very conducive for use in biological systems and under large amounts of stress, like the heart. This project will explore the evolution of artificial heart valves, the process of creating artificial heart valves, and the various types of heart valves that are currently in use today. Specifically, we will be diving into mechanical heart valves with a focus on the qualities that make pyrolytic carbons so effective in this role.
Pyrolytic carbon is structurally very similar to graphite in that they both consist of layers of carbon atoms that are covalently bonded to one another, forming multiple hexagonal shapes. These carbon layers are then held together through weak, interlayer bonding. The most significant difference between pyrolytic carbons and graphite is that the carbon layers in pyrolytic carbon are disordered, while the carbon layers in graphite are very organized. This unique structure is a result of the fluidized bed process used to make pyrolytic carbons. The resulting disorganized structure creates distortions and wrinkles within the pyrolytic carbon that make them more durable than graphite. The most important qualifications for any biomaterial is that it must be strong, durable, wear-resistant, and biocompatible. The structure and resulting properties of pyrolytic carbons make it the perfect biomaterial in the creation of artificial heart valves.
Works Cited:
sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/000862238590226X
sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013468602008459
sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0022311571900067
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2440402
hindawi.com/journals/isrn/2013/728791
nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp078175#t=article
Images
heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/HeartValveProblemsandDisease/Types-of-Replacement-Heart-Valves_UCM_451175_Article.jsp#.WNStqXQrJZg
http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~nag38/History.html
azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=1463
madehow.com/Volume-6/Artificial-Heart-Valve.html
youtube.com/watch?v=DzoLce84cag&t=38s
youtube.com/watch?v=gQvGlwM4lqs&t=57s
organdonor.gov/statistics-stories/statistics.html
jtd.amegroups.com/article/view/3738/html
unos.org/data
teachmeanatomy.info/thorax/organs/heart/heart-valves
cardiosmart.org/heartvalvedisease
ketolife.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Arterial-calcium-plaque.jpg
intermountainhealthcare.org/-/media/images/education/heart-care/aortic-stenosis.jpg?la=en
media.npr.org/assets/img/2015/05/04/pig-tales_9780393240245-1-_wide-ff64be1d4945228dd4bf7f4a10cbc7b08ff9ada5.jpg?s=1400
animalcorner.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/cows-1.jpg
heart-valve-surgery.com/Images/restart-heart.jpg
madehow.com/Volume-6/Artificial-Heart-Valve.html
Materials_clip_image002.jpg
Onxlti-py-carbon-illustration.gif
cryolife.com/products/contract-manufacturing/on-x-pyrolytic-ca
thrombocyte.com/what-is-thrombosis
cryolife.com/products/on-x-heart-valves/tissue-vs-mechanical-heart-valve
organdonor.gov/statistics-stories/statistics.html
jtd.amegroups.com/article/view/3738/html
youtube.com/watch?v=gJpT_wHZeF8
