RETRACTED ARTICLE: Microwave sterilization of bovine pericardium for heart valve applications

• Published in: Journal of artificial organs Vol. 13; no. 1; pp. 24 - 30
• Main Authors: Patel, Shital S., Owida, Amal A., Morsi, Yos S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan Springer Japan 01.04.2010; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering; Cardiac Surgery; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Nephrology; Original Article; Fixation; Bioprosthetic valve; Microwaves; Bovine pericardium; Sterilization
• ISSN: 1434-7229; 1619-0904
• DOI: 10.1007/s10047-010-0489-9

It is widely recognised that the bioprosthetic valves widely used for heart valve replacements have some drawbacks, for example tearing and occurrence of infections, which can be attributed to the fixation and sterilization techniques currently available. These techniques adversely affect the physical properties, functionality, and lifespan of the leaflets. In the work discussed in this paper we examined a novel procedure of using high-frequency microwaves to fix and disinfect the pericardium, without causing any harmful affects. The test bacteria used were Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus . The pericardium was exposed to microwaves at a frequency of 18 GHz for three consecutive replicates. The findings indicated that there was almost complete inactivation of the bacteria on the biomaterial without compromising the biocompatibility, which was studied using ovine fibroblasts. An effective fixation and sterilization procedure, that is quick and has no adverse effects is presented and discussed.