Crocheted Cellulose-Based Heart Valve and Small Diameter Vascular Graft Prostheses
- 詳細技術說明
- Inventor: Vijay KumarAssociate Professor, Division of Pharmaceuticshttp://pharmacy.uiowa.edu/kumar
- *Abstract
-
Background
Heart valves essentially function to block retrograde blood flow from the aorta, etc. of the heart in between pumps from the heart muscle. This simple, yet essential activity repeats roughly 30-40 million times per year in a human being, requiring a simple, yet durable functionality for the heart valves. When the natural heart valves wear out via disease or damage, it is essential for replacement valves to be as durable and effective at blocking retrograde blood flow as the originals, all while maintaining biocompatibility with the entire system.
Technology
Researchers at the University of Iowa have identified cellulose as an effective material for the production of heart valve prostheses and other vascular graft applications. Furthermore, they have also developed a method for producing and molding the cellulose into a solid matrix and forming that into various geometries such as thin films, membranes, hollow tubes, heart valves, including an aortic heart valve of cellulose-based heart valve prostheses. Cellulose has already been utilized in several medical applications, such as drug delivery, and its durability and biocompatibility are well-documented. In addition to these benefits, cellulose has also been demonstrated to serve as an effective scaffold for the growth of diverse cell types, as may be desired in heart valve prosthetic applications.
Advantages
BIOCOMPATIBLE. Cellulose is a well-known compound to those in the medical field. It's has been used for several applications and has a well-established safety profile. That means anti-coagulation therapy would not be required with cellulose-based prostheses.
DURABLE. Cellulose has been shown to maintain its structural integrity and not break down in biological environments such as the human body.
COST-EFFECTIVE. Cellulose is a very common, easy-to-acquire material. Therefore, products synthesized from it have a materials cost advantage.
BIODEGRADABLE OPTION. If an implantable device requires a dissolving scaffold for tissue growth instead of a persistent structure, cellulose derivatives may be utilized which slowly degrade in biological environments.
Patent Link
UIRF has been awarded a patent for this technology (8,017,396).
- *Licensing
- Catherine KohSenior Licensing AssociateUniversity of Iowa Research FoundationEmail: catherine-koh@uiowa.eduPhone: 319-335-4659
- 國家/地區
- 美國
