Medtronic’s Harmony transcatheter pulmonary valve (TPV) is made of nitinol wire, polyester and laser-cut pig tissue, all sewn together by hand. [Photo courtesy of Medtronic]
Medtronic’s Harmony transcatheter pulmonary valve (TPV) design is paying off after engineers solved a delivery catheter recall and relaunched the system this year.The Harmony TPV uses pig tissue, shape-memory alloy nitinol and manufacturing techniques old and new to solve a special challenge for children and adults.
The catheter-placed Harmony valve offers a minimally invasive way to improve the flow of blood to the lungs and delay open-heart surgery for congenital heart disease. Congenital heart defects are present in about 40,000 babies born each year, making it the most …