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Need for new materials, biofunctionalization and non-surgical heart valve technology
Jan Sochman, Clinic of Cardiology, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Videnska 1958/9, 140 00 Prague 4 - Krc, Czech Republic
Author contributions: Sochman J solely contributed to this paper.
Supported by IKEM Research Grant G 973 (research project No. #000233001 awarded by the Ministry of Health, CZ)
Correspondence to: Jan Sochman, MD, PhD, Clinic of Cardiology, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Videnska 1958/9, 140 00 Praha 4 - Krc, Czech Republic. jan.sochman@medicon.cz
Telephone: +420-2-61365109 Fax: +420-2-61362986
Received: February 5, 2010
Revised: February 23, 2010
Accepted: March 1, 2010
Published online: March 26, 2010
Revised: February 23, 2010
Accepted: March 1, 2010
Published online: March 26, 2010
Abstract
Transition from non-surgical heart valve defects repair from bench to bedside is a reality. Some biological material-based designs for transcatheter aortic valve implantation are ready for use. Their drawback, however is their unknown functional as well as structural durability. Moreover, research on new non-biological materials is essential to replace classical animal-derived sources of human heart valve prostheses.