Hemocompatibile Thin Films Assessed under Blood Flow Shear Forces

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Cardiovascular Engineering
• Polymer Science

Background:

• Traditional heart valves made from rigid materials like pyrolytic carbon often lead to suboptimal blood flow and thromboembolism.
• Existing valve designs, including tilt-disc and bicuspid, present challenges in achieving ideal hemocompatibility.
• There is a critical need for advanced materials with specific properties for direct contact with blood in artificial heart valves.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate novel biomimetic heart valve materials using metal-polymer composites.
• To minimize the risk of life-threatening thromboembolism in the ventricle.
• To create materials with enhanced hemocompatibility for cardiovascular applications.

Main Methods:

• Finite volume element simulations were used to model blood adhesion and flow dynamics.
• Tribological tests were performed to assess the mechanical properties of thin-film materials.
• Dynamic hemocompatibility tests were conducted using blood concentrates and whole human blood under hydrodynamic conditions.

Main Results:

• Simulations analyzed blood adhesion under radial flow and cone-and-plane conditions.
• Hemostability tests demonstrated that the developed coatings maintained integrity under maximum loading.
• Analysis of hydrogenated and nitrogen-doped hydrogenated carbon samples showed strong interaction with erythrocytes, indicating good hemocompatibility.

Conclusions:

• The developed metal-polymer composite coatings exhibit excellent hemocompatibility for heart valve applications.
• These novel materials show promise in reducing thromboembolic risk compared to traditional valve designs.
• The study confirms the potential of these biomimetic materials for improved cardiovascular device performance.