Hall-Kaster Heart Valve

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Hall-Kaster Heart Valve

Medtronic

after 1977

The Hall-Kaster is a pivoting disc heart valve prostheses that began manufacture in 1977. It has open ended struts to prevent the buildup of thrombus, and a pivotal disc mechanism designed to split the orifice into two equal parts when opened. There were no welds, joint, or bends that could weaken the valves structure after years of use. The disc opens to 75 degrees with an aperture in center, made of graphite substrate and tantalum (the latter makes the disc radiopaque.) It is coated in pyrolytic carbon. The valve is housed in a titanium ring, with a sewing ring made of knitted Teflon. The valve was successful, with regurgitation in 4 of 160 patients. At least 183,000 aortic and 122,000 mitral valves were implanted worldwide with no reports of structural failure.

The valve was developed by Dr. Karl Victor Hall (1917-), chairman of Department of Surgery at Rikshospitalet in Oslo, Norway, and Robert Kaster, an electrical engineering with a degree from the University of Minnesota (1951). He became interested in designing prostheses while working in Dr. C. Walton Lillehei's laboratory. It was there that he designed the tilting disc valve known as the Lillehei-Kaster valve.

Currently not on view

Health & Medicine

Cardiology

Prosthesis

Artificial Heart Valves

Medtronic

Artificial Organs

Smithsonian Institution

image

http://collections.si.edu/search/results.htm?q=record_ID%3Anmah_1757049&repo=DPLA