Development of a ceramic conduit valve prosthesis for corrective cardiovascular surgery

This paper reports some of the ways in which biomaterial considerations have influenced the design, development and construction methods for a prototype conduit valve prosthesis in which the valve body is made from alumina. This material is used principally for its ability to grow and support a thin (< 0.1 mm) tissue covering on the surfaces in contact with the blood. This non-vascular covering does not interfere with the operation of the valve, but is thick enough to camouflage the underlying surface from any further interaction with the blood. This is important for any conduit valve because of the large internal surface area, but would be especially beneficial for children if it could obviate the need for chronic anticoagulation.