The two main types of prosthetic heart valves are mechanical and bioprosthetic. The mechanical valves are excellent in terms of durability, but are hindered by their tendency to coagulate the blood. Bioprosthetic valves are less durable and must be replaced periodically. All valve types must be durable, because the body is an extremely hostile environment for a foreign object, including prosthetic heart valves. Today, chemical engineers are researching new designs of prosthetic heart valves.
Many engineers believe the future lies within the regime of tissue engineering.
It's function is to pump oxygen-rich blood to the arteries where the blood can flow to the cells of the body to provide them with oxygen. The deoxygenated blood from the cells is circulated back to the heart to regain the oxygen that was lost. The deoxygenated blood from the body enters the right atrium, and once this chamber fills with blood, the atrium contracts, forcing the blood down through the tricuspid valve into right ventricle. Next, the ventricle contracts, pushing the blood to the lungs through the pulmonary valve to receive oxygen. From the left ventricle, the blood travels through the aortic valve to the large blood vessel called the aorta.