by
Lynn Shapiro, Writer | October 27, 2008
Detailed laboratory testing procedures and results were described in the June 2007 issue of the Journal of Medical Devices.
Next, the team developed a method to test whether blood clots would form inside the prosthetic valve. Results showed that the new generation of valves remained open with no clot formation after 120 minutes of blood flow, whereas control valves lined with polyester closed up after just six minutes of perfusion and showed blood cells adhering to the valves.
The laboratory tests also showed that the prosthetic vein valve exhibited low flow resistance, strong competency, fatigue-resistance, low clot formation probability and material flexibility, which allowed researchers to move forward to the animal studies.
Georgia Tech is looking for a partner, preferably a medical device maker that produces catheters, to finance its clinical trials for chronic venous insufficiency.
Full caption: David Ku, Regents' Professor in mechanical engineering at Georgia Tech, squeezes the prosthetic vein valve to the open position. The valve is designed to replace damaged, non-functioning valves.
Georgia Tech Photo: Gary Meek
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