A patient at Beaumont Hospital in Michigan is in recovery after receiving a polymer heart valve implant in July.
Jointly developed by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and US-based medical device company Foldax, the Tria heart valve is made from CSIRO's proprietary polymer technology -- the same material that is used for Australia's bank notes, extended wear contact lenses, and biomedical applications such as those found in cardiac pace makers.
According to CSIRO, using polymer for the Tria heart valve, creates a valve capable of lasting decades without calcification, risk of clotting, or damage to red blood cells.
"This is a true example of Aussie innovation going global, with our team in Melbourne designing, developing, and scaling-up the new polymer," CSIRO project leader Dr Thilak Gunatillake said.
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Foldax now manufactures the Tria heart valve for patients from its headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah.
"Tria heart valves are revolutionising the industry as the first and only biopolymer heart valve platform using LifePolymer material, eliminating the use of animal tissue," said Foldax executive chairman Ken Charhut.
"What makes this so different from other heart valves is that we were able to design the valve to mimic the native valve."
The CSIRO said it is in discussion with potential industry and research partners to translate the technology into further applications, such as vascular grafts or synthetic membranes for repair of ear drum ruptures.
The operation is the latest success story for the CSIRO, which previously teamed up with Melbourne-based medical implant company Anatomics and doctors in the United Kingdom to implant a 3D-printed titanium and