B
Bob
I am not sure I should have used that title but it was used several times in an article I read while flying on Horizon Air. The article written by Eric Lucas is in Horizon Air Magazine Oct. 2003 & features new biomaterials used in medicine. Of interest to us are a procedure for CHF at Oregon Health & Science. A biomaterial patch made from the pericardium of a cow heart is treated so the body doesn't recognize it as foreign-hence no rejection. The bulging ventrical is folded over and the patch sewn on. First tried in 2002, twelve patients have used it successfully. Contact Dr. Pasala Ravichandran.
Next, Ken Perry, Bainbridge, WA. is creating aortic valve replacements from an elastic material called Nitinol. Because Nitinol is flexible it can expand or contract as needed. That is VIP because when you exercise with a metal valve it can't expand and the heart has to work harder to supply needed blood. Which is bad for a weak heart. He even thinks he can make a valve flixible enough that it could be implanted via a catheter. His valve is in preclinical trials.
Next, Bob Ward a Calif. Chemical engineer and Allison Campbell at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are among those working with ploymers. These can be used to construct heart valves, coat metal so the body will not reject metal implantations, biodegradable stitches, artificial hearts and even the pancreas.
Next, Dr. Buddy Ratner at the U of Washington has created a coating for artificial blood vessel grafts that prevents clots. His coating would go on and inside a new valve and prevent clotting. Hey, no Coumadin!
And, at BioTime, a company in Berkeley, CA. they are making a supplement to blood plasma so as to maintain blood volume during surgery. also a product they call HetaCool which minimizes trauma during aortic surgery. Wow, no more pumpheadness.
My reason for posting this information is to let all of us and specially those on the waiting list, that new and fantastic things are coming. Most of that cited in the article is within five to ten years. Have hope my friends and stay tuned to Valve replacement. Just an after thought, it would be nice if all of us could post things like this article so we can increase our knowledge of whats happening.
Next, Ken Perry, Bainbridge, WA. is creating aortic valve replacements from an elastic material called Nitinol. Because Nitinol is flexible it can expand or contract as needed. That is VIP because when you exercise with a metal valve it can't expand and the heart has to work harder to supply needed blood. Which is bad for a weak heart. He even thinks he can make a valve flixible enough that it could be implanted via a catheter. His valve is in preclinical trials.
Next, Bob Ward a Calif. Chemical engineer and Allison Campbell at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are among those working with ploymers. These can be used to construct heart valves, coat metal so the body will not reject metal implantations, biodegradable stitches, artificial hearts and even the pancreas.
Next, Dr. Buddy Ratner at the U of Washington has created a coating for artificial blood vessel grafts that prevents clots. His coating would go on and inside a new valve and prevent clotting. Hey, no Coumadin!
And, at BioTime, a company in Berkeley, CA. they are making a supplement to blood plasma so as to maintain blood volume during surgery. also a product they call HetaCool which minimizes trauma during aortic surgery. Wow, no more pumpheadness.
My reason for posting this information is to let all of us and specially those on the waiting list, that new and fantastic things are coming. Most of that cited in the article is within five to ten years. Have hope my friends and stay tuned to Valve replacement. Just an after thought, it would be nice if all of us could post things like this article so we can increase our knowledge of whats happening.
