100 + INNOVATIONS
Next-Generation Heart Valves
Accelerating digital transformation processes within the built environment sector to meet critical sustainability goals
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Research Project
Challenge
More than 500,000 Australians live with heart valve disease which, if untreated, carries a 94 % mortality rate. Current bioprosthetic valves rely on chemically fixed animal tissue that fails prematurely, especially in younger patients, due to inflammation and poor integration. With earlier interventions increasing, durable, regenerative solutions are urgently needed..
Solution
This approach replaces current fixed-tissue materials with silk, a natural protein that offers a combination of strength, flexibility and biological compatibility. Silk material gradually breaks down and can be replaced by the body’ s own tissue to create a living valve. Its structure mimics the complexity of natural valves, guiding organised tissue growth for longterm function.
Next steps focus on optimising the device, validating it in preclinical models, and partnering with clinicians to advance toward the first inhuman trials.
Target customers / end-users
• cardiac surgeons and interventional cardiologists performing valve replacements
• patients with aortic valve disease, especially younger or high-risk groups
• medical device companies developing next-generation heart valve technologies.
Progress
• AU $ 2.5m in grant funding for biomimetic silk materials and valve prototypes
• established a bespoke Heart Valve Prototyping and Testing Facility
• established the first silk valve prototypes validated via benchtop testing.
Prototype developed
TRL 3
Multidisciplinary team
Healthy Living
This project is developing silk-based heart valves that mimic the complexity of natural valves, guiding the body to regenerate a living, functional replacement. By addressing the early failure of current valves, this approach aims to deliver a more durable solution. Functional prototypes already show strong performance, highlighting significant translational potential.
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