ANNUAL REVIEW | 2016
| 15
ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES
Putting replacement heart
valves through their paces
Replacement heart
valves that can
be implanted with
minimal risk of
rejection or failure
could benefit
thousands of patients
undergoing surgery in
the UK each year.
programme funded by a Medical
Technologies IKC proof of
concept grant.
Leeds researchers have devised
a rigorous portfolio of tests
to ensure the biomechanical
performance of new types of
valve is sufficient to offer patients
the improved quality of life that
they expect.
“These types of decellularised
valves could potentially
overcome the limitations of
current homograft valves, which
degenerate over time, and
produce valves with potential
for growth, which would make
a huge difference to younger
patients,” says Louise Jennings,
Associate Professor of Medical
Engineering at the University
of Leeds.
The new valves are taken from
human donor tissue which has
had all the cellular material
removed – using decellularisation
techniques developed at the
University of Leeds.
Tests to assess both the
biomechanical properties and
the hydrodynamic performance
of the valves were formulated by
researchers in the University’s
Institute of Medical and
Biological Engineering, in a
Working in partnership with NHS
Blood and Transplant Tissue and
Eye Services, the portfolio of tests
has now been applied to human
decellularised pulmonary and
aortic valve conduits, allowing
them to be fully biomechanically
characterised before NHSBT TES
take the valves into clinical trials.
“Producing standardised
methods for testing them in vitro
ultimately reduces risk of failure
for patients. It also reduces risk
for the health service and for
investors – and reduces the
number of animals needed in
pre-clinical trials.”