Magovern-Cromie Artificial Heart Valve
date: label: date made
content: ca 1963
name: label: maker
content: Codding, D. D.
notes: label: Description
content: A normal human heart has four chambers. Each chamber has a valve: the tricuspid, the mitral, the aortic, and the pulmonary. As the heart muscle contacts, the mitral and tricuspid valves close and the pulmonary and aortic valves open, directing blood to flow in one direction. When one or more valves do not work properly, they might need to be repaired or replaced.
label: Description
content: The causes of heart valve malfunction are numerous, and can include congenital malformation or acquired heart disease. Artificial heart valves were the first mechanical replacements of a natural organism in a human.
label: Description
content: Pioneering heart surgeon Dr. Charles Hufnagel (1916-1989) began working on the developed of artificial heart valves in 1947, and the first clinical implantation occurred in 1952. The patient's natural valve was left in place and the mechanical valve was placed in the descending aorta, aiding the damaged valve.
label: Description
content: Many artificial heart valves were developed in the early 1960s. This Magovern-Cromie caged ball valve was first implanted in a patient in 1962. It was developed by Dr. George Magovern of the University of Pittsburgh and engineer Harry Cromie. The struts and the small hooks are made of titanium. The hooks at the base of the valve replaced the need for sutures and shortened the time of the operation. Thousands of Magovern-Cromie artificial valves were manufactured and implanted until production ceased in 1980.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
topic: label: Subject
content: Cardiology
label: Subject
content: Surgery
label: Subject
content: Artificial Organs
label: Subject
content: Prosthesis
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Medicine
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content: Artificial Heart Valves
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content: Health & Medicine
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content: Science & Mathematics
publisher: label: Related Publication
content: Society of Thoracic Surgeons, Southern Thoracic Surgical Association. The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Vol. 69
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Dr. Patrick K. C. Chun
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1981.0731.02
label: accession number
content: 1981.0731
label: catalog number
content: 1981.0731.02
objectType: label: Object Name
content: artificial heart valve
label: Object Name
content: cardiology
label: Other Terms
content: Surgery
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: silicone (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: titanium (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 2 3/8 in x 2 3/4 in x 2 3/4 in; 6.0325 cm x 6.985 cm x 6.985 cm