ASAIO GOLD

The 25 Landmark ‘Milestone’ Papers Published by ASAIO

1955-2003

	Your Commentary --- Milestone Papers to Add
Email Us

Biomaterials and Thrombosis

1. Gott VL, Whiffen JD, Koepke DE, Daggett RL, Boake WC, Young WP. Techniques of applying a graphite-benzalkonium-heparin coating to various plastics and metals. TASAIO 10:213-217, 1964

Commentary: Pyrolytic carbon, the premier material for artificial heart valves was discovered in 1966 at General Atomics by Dr. Jack Bokros and by Dr. Vincent Gott, then at the University of Wisconsin. Dr. Bokros was using pyrolytic carbon to coat nuclear fuel particles for gas-cooled nuclear power reactors. In 1966, Bokros read an article by Dr. Vincent Gott, who had been testing carbon-based paint as a blood compatible coating for artificial heart components. Bokros contacted Gott who initiated the collaboration that resulted in creating medical grade pyrolytic carbon. Gott was searching for a material to use in artificial heart valves that demonstrated low thrombogenicity and mechanical durability. The initial material used to coat nuclear fuel particles had the needed blood compatibility, but not the durability. General Atomics initiated a development project headed by Dr. Bokros to add the needed durability to the material. This endeavor was successful and the biomedical grade of pyrolytic carbon, known as Pyrolite, was rapidly incorporated into heart valve designs. Nearly 40 years later, pyrolytic carbon remains the most widely used material for mechanical heart valves. It has been used in more than 4 million implants in more than 25 different valve designs for a clinical experience on the order of 18 million patient-years. No other material used for long-term blood contacting implants can boast of such a successful clinical experience. – Steven J. Phillips, M.D.

*****