by Kelvin G.M. Brockbank, PhD
Volume 6, Issue 3 (Fall 2007)
Three types of heart valves are employed for replacement in patients: mechanical, xenogeneic tissue, and allogeneic human valves derived from donors post-mortem. The intention of this article is two-fold: 1) to place issues associated with the preservation of allogeneic human heart valves in perspective relative to the AATB Standards for Tissue Banking and current practices in US cardiovascular tissue-processing facilities; and 2) present potential opportunities for improvements with appropriate validation. Most patients receive either xenogeneic tissue or mechanical valves; however, the use of cryopreserved human valve allografts became established during the 1970s and 1980s for certain patient subsets…
Citation:
Brockbank KGM. Current Practices in Heart Valve Preservation. BioProcess J, 2007; 6(3): 30-37. http://dx.doi.org/10.12665/J63.Brockbank