Lillehei-Kaster Valve Embedded in Plastic
date: label: date made
content: after 1970
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: This sutureless Lillehei-Kaster bi-leaflet valve was introduced in 1970. the valve is embedded in plastic to be used as an advertising tool. It is made of titanium and pyrolite coated graphite. It had low embolic rate, good hemodynamics, and low hemolysis.
label: Description (Brief)
content: Tilting disc valves were first introduced by Lillehei-Kaster in 1969. Robert Kaster earned his electrical engineering degree from the University of Minnesota (1951). He became interested in designing prostheses while working in Dr. C. Walt. Lillehei's laboratory. It was there that he designed the tilting disc valve. The disc is held in place by two side prongs. Kaster also worked with another valve creator, Jack Bokros, to develop his disc. Lillehei-Kaster valves were produced by Medical Incorporated of Minneapolis. These valves demonstrated high durability due to their pyrolyte composition and had "essentially no valve failures."
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Minnesota, Minneapolis
topic: label: Subject
content: Cardiology
label: Subject
content: Artificial Organs
label: Subject
content: Prosthesis
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Medicine
label: See more items in
content: Artificial Heart Valves
label: See more items in
content: Health & Medicine
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Manuel Villafaña
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2015.0031.62
label: catalog number
content: 2015.0031.62
label: accession number
content: 2015.0031
objectType: label: Object Name
content: artificial heart valve
label: Object Name
content: cardiology
label: Object Name
content: artificial heart valves
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: plastic (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: pyrolytic carbon (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: graphite (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: titanium (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 2.9 cm x 3.3 cm x 1.7 cm; 1 5/32 in x 1 5/16 in x 21/32 in