Surgitool Sutureless Prosthetic Heart Valves Set
date: label: date made
content: after 1969
name: label: maker
content: Surgitool, Inc.
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: This stainless steel case contains a set of Magovern-Cromie Sutureless valves. They range from 19 to 20 centimeters long. Each holds a different size valve and poppet (ball), and are numbered 2 through 7. The inserters are used to implant the valve. Once inserted into place the surgeon rotated the handle so that the pins attach themselves to the aorta. The device is then removed and the ball or poppet is placed into the cage.
label: Description (Brief)
content: The Magovern-Cromie valve utilizes an open cage and titanium struts. Later versions used a Dacron sewing ring and silicone rubber poppet with barium sulphate. It often took at least an hour for surgeons to sew a new valve into the heart, which raised the risk of irreparable heart damage and patient death. This inspired Magovern to design something that would save time and patient's lives. He and Cromie collaborated in the latter's suburban Pittsburgh basement to develop a valve that would clamp into place with small teeth. They developed a claw like fixation device that did not require any sewing. The ring has twenty-four upper and twenty-four lower sets of small, curved, pointed metal teeth or hooks. These hooks allowed for rapid fixation when time was critical. Production of these valves ceased in 1980. With sutureless valves, there was an increased risk of leaking and postoperative thromboembolism.
label: Description (Brief)
content: The Magovern-Cromie valve is an example of how several redesigns were needed to eliminate structural flaws and create a viable valve. The original Magovern-Cromie valves were all metal. Gradually over a period of years several changes were adapted. A silastic cuff was added to prevent blood regurgitation. Teflon and later Dacron was used, and the poppet was impregnated with barium sulfate.
label: Description (Brief)
content: Newspaper stories recorded an instance of a Magovern-Cromie Sutureless valve being replaced in a patient after twenty-four years of service.
label: Description (Brief)
content: Dr. George Magovern (1924-2013) was a cardiac surgeon at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Machinist/engineer Harry Cromie eventually founded Surgitool Incorporated around 1969. Surgitool became one of the leading manufacturers of heart valves in the United States.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh
topic: label: Subject
content: Cardiology
label: Subject
content: Prosthesis
label: Subject
content: Artificial Organs
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Medicine
label: See more items in
content: Health & Medicine
label: See more items in
content: Artificial Heart Valves
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Manuel Villafaña
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2015.0031.57
label: catalog number
content: 2015.0031.57
label: accession number
content: 2015.0031
objectType: label: Object Name
content: cardiology
label: Object Name
content: artificial heart valve, set
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal (container material)
label: Physical Description
content: dacron, fabric (valve material)
label: Physical Description
content: silicone rubber, barium sulphate (valve material)
label: Physical Description
content: titanium (valve material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (valve holder material)
label: Measurements
content: container: 5.3 cm x 32.3 cm x 22.5 cm; 2 3/32 in x 12 23/32 in x 8 27/32 in