Reader Response Draft 1

One of the advancements is the reduction in its diameter, standing at only 15mm. (Abbott, n.d.-b) This minute-sized valve has successfully enabled doctors to treat babies and toddlers with smaller mitral valves, which was not possible beforAccording to the webpage "Mechanical Heart Valves" (Abbott, n.d.-a), Abbott introduces the Masters HP 15mm Mitral Mechanical Heart Valves, the one and only mechanical heart valve in the world designed for treating newborns and babies, especially if mitral valve repairment failed on them. (Caldarone et al., 2001) The Masters HP 15mm valve is considered the gold standard and the most trusted mechanical heart valve in the world with little complications shown in the long run, due to its unique design features with several testimonies to support its claim. (Abbott, n.d.-b) The valve has already treated over 3 million patients. (Abbott, n.d.-a) Among its functions, the valve acts as an artificial valve, by replacing damaged valves and then controlling the normal flow of blood into and out of the heart. In terms of features, it has a bileaflet design that opens to an 85-degree during heart contractions, a minimised carbon surface area, a low valve implant height of 2.2mm with an overall height of 8.5mm, a controlled torque rotation mechanism for rotation and intraoperative adjustment, (Abbott, n.d.-b) and a diameter measuring at only 15mm, making it the smallest valve in the world (Abbott, n.d.-a). With its minute size and high durability, the Masters HP 15mm is clearly an advancement over the Epic™ Plus Mitral stented tissue valve, being able to target newborns and infants, thus giving them a new lease of life and with little complications in the long run. e. According to Abbott, Epic™ Plus Mitral stented tissue valves are usually sized between 25-33mm (Abbott, n.d.-c) which can cause mismatch with the smaller mitral annular size of childrens’ hearts and it is considered to be a risk factor for operative mortality. (Elmahrouk et al., 2021) However, with the minute size of the Masters HP 15mm valve offered by Abbott, the risk of mortality is now minimised. Another advancement is the extremely high durability of the valve, hence avoiding the potential of eventual calcification, which can occur with the Epic™ Plus Mitral stented tissue valve. (Abbott, n.d.-a) The Masters Series valves prove long-term durability based on experiences of more than 3 million successful implants over several decades. (Abbott, n.d.-e) Thus, with its high durability, patients do not have to worry about needing to replace their valves again. Furthermore, the valve targets paediatric patients, who often have a longer lifespan due to their age. Thus, durability will be one of the most important factors to consider for them. Hence, the Masters HP 15mm is a great advantage over tissue valves like the Epic™ Plus Mitral valve that often wear out after 12 to 15 years. (Conte, 2017) One problem with the Masters HP 15mm brings is patients’ ability to tolerate the anticoagulation therapy. After the surgical procedure, anticoagulation therapy is required to prevent the tendency for blood clots to form on the metal surfaces of the valves, which can increase the risk of bleeding. (Office of the Commissioner, 2018) As such, patients need to be on blood thinner for life (Conte, 2017). Failure to do so, can potentially lead to the death of the patient. However, it is proven that the Masters HP 15mm is able to give paediatric patients a new lease of life, as seen from Sadie Rutenberg’s life story for example. Sadie Rutenberg was the first infant to undergo the implantation of the Masters HP 15mm valve, and is now a healthy 3-year-old girl, leading life just like any other child. (Abbott, n.d.-b) This is a clear indicator of the success of the valve. Also, the low thrombogenicity nature of the valve further reduces the tendency for blood clots to form on its surfaces, hence mitigating the problem the valve brings. According to the Abbott Mechanical Heart Valves brochure, Abbott mechanical valves show lower thromboembolism, thrombosis and bleeding even at a low INR range. (Abbott, n.d.-f) Thus, the valve is still a clear indicator of success, outweighing the problem it brings, and clearly an advancement over other mechanical valves and tissue valves like the Epic™ Plus Mitral valve. In conclusion, the minute size of the Masters HP 15mm valve, along with its high durability can help save the lives of numerous paediatric patients’ that the other mechanical and tissue heart valves could not achieve. With these significant characteristics, the Masters HP 15mm valve would be the key to the success of treating paediatric patients with mitral regurgitation. 

References 

Abbott. (n.d.-a). Mechanical Heart Valves. Retrieved September 13, 2023, from https://www.structuralheart.abbott/int/products/mechanical-heart-valve/regent-valve-masters-series-mechanical-heart-valve#c2068 Abbott. (n.d.-b). FDA APPROVES THE WORLD'S SMALLEST MECHANICAL HEART VALVE FOR PEDIATRIC PATIENTS WITH HEART DEFECTS. Retrieved September 13, 2023, from https://abbott.mediaroom.com/2018-03-06-FDA-Approves-the-Worlds-Smallest-Mechanical-Heart-Valve-for-Pediatric-Patients-with-Heart-Defects Abbott. (n.d.-c). Epic™ Plus Mitral and Aortic. Retrieved September 13, 2023, from https://www.cardiovascular.abbott/us/en/hcp/products/structural-heart/surgical-valve-solutions/epic-tissue-valve.html Abbott. (n.d.-d). Epic™ Plus Mitral and Aortic Stented Tissue Valves. Retrieved September 13, 2023, from https://www.structuralheart.abbott/products/mitral-aortic-valve-replacement/epic-tissue-valve#features Abbott. (n.d.-e). Key Mitral MHV selection considerations: durability, size range, hemodynamics, and implantability. Retrieved September 13, 2023, from https://www.structuralheart.abbott/fileadmin/content/clinical-research/clinical-insights/46704_Global_Masters_Clinical_Insights.pdf Abbott. (n.d.-f). Abbott Mechanical Heart Valves. Retrieved September 13, 2023, from https://gamida.co.il/medical/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2022/01/9-EH-1-12392-01-06-2021_MHV-Brochure.pdf Alberta (2022, September 7). Learning About Life With a Mechanical Heart Valve. https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/aftercareinformation/pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=abk2194 Conte, V. (2017, May 2). Deciding Between a Tissue and a Mechanical Valve. https://ctsurgerypatients.org/deciding-between-a-tissue-and-a-mechanical-valve#:~:text=Age%20is%20one%20of%20the,patient%20survival%20are%20both%20unpredictable Elmahrouk, A. F., Mashali, M. H., Ismail, M., Arafat, A. A., Alamri, R., Baho, H., Shihata, M., & Jamjoom, A. (2021). Mitral valve replacement in infants and younger children. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8316334/ Caldarone, C. A., Raghuveer, G., Hills, C. B., Atkins, D. L., Burns, T. L., Behrendt, D. M., & Moller, J. H. (2001). Long-Term Survival After Mitral Valve Replacement in Children Aged

Summary draft 1

According to the webpage "Surgical heart valves" (Abbott, n.d.), Abbott introduces the "Masters HP 15 mm Mitral Mechanical Heart Valves", a mechanical heart valve. It is suitable for treating newborns and babies. Abbott's mechanical valve is considered the gold standard and the most trusted mechanical heart valve in the world. In addition to that, Abbott also produces the world’s smallest 15-mm paediatric mechanical valves, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration [FDA] (Office of the Commissioner, 2020). Among its functions, it has rotatable bileaflet valves designed for secure implantation in the mitral position for patients with a diseased, damaged, or malfunctioning mitral heart valve. Hence, a replacement valve is needed for them. In terms of features, it is unique due to its specifications and design features. Firstly, it has a minimised carbon surface area. It also has a low valve implant height of 2.2 mm and an overall height of 8.5 mm (Abbott, n.d.-a). Secondly, it has unique design features, which use the "Pivot Guard Design" with low thrombogenicity at the forefront of the valve. With several enhanced features present in the Masters HP 15mm Mitral mechanical heart valves, it is currently the top and only mechanical heart valve present in the world to cater to paediatric patients, giving them a better chance of a long healthy life with a fully functioning heart.

Reference:

 

a)Abbott. (n.d.-a). Masters mitral and aortic mechanical valves | Abbott. Www.cardiovascular.abbott. https://www.cardiovascular.abbott/us/en/hcp/products/structural-heart/

surgical-valve-solutions/masters-mechanical-valves.html#

:~:text=The%20SJM%E2%84%A2%20Masters%20Series

b)Abbott. (n.d.-b). Mechanical heart valves | regent valve and master series. Www.structuralheart.abbott. https://www.structuralheart.abbott/products/mechanical-heart-valve/

regent-valve-masters-series-mechanical-heart-valve

c)Office of the Commissioner. (2020, March 24). FDA expands approval of replacement heart valve,

smallest mechanical valve size approved in the world. FDA. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/

fda-expands-approval-replacement-heart-valve-smallest-mechanical-valve-size-approved-world

Research pathway (Zhou min and Philbert)

Philbert and I decided to work on biomedical engineering systems as we both had similar interests and studied similar modules when we were in polytechnic previously. We want to work on medical devices focusing on circulatory systems, especially heart valves. As we know, cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death not only among the elderly but also among the younger generation of patients suffering from cardiovascular issues. Among all cardiovascular diseases, mitral stenosis is a relatively common disorder that can be associated with high morbidity and mortality if left untreated. The most common treatment for heart valve disease is surgical replacement. However, due to the lack of heart donors, artificial valves are then produced.

We first read news articles on existing heart valves available in the current market and companies developing the valves using Google and Google Scholar.

There are three different types of mitral valves, which include mechanical, bioprosthetic and tissue valves. All these devices have significant limitations, with risks of further morbidity and mortality. We then proceeded with further research and summarised the pros and cons in the table below.

Types of aortic valves	Pros	Cons
1. Mechanical Aortic valves	>More durable, have a longer life span of 20 to 30 years >No contraindication to anticoagulation with Vitamin K antagonist >Lower risk of subsequent valve replacement or repair	>Consumption of blood thinner for life >Not suitable for women of childbearing age >Not suitable for patients prone to fall
2. Bioprosthetic Aortic Valves	>More suitable for older patients	>Shorter life span of 10 to 15 years >Higher risk of subsequent valve replacement or repair >Not very suitable for patients of younger age
3. Tissue Aortic Valves	>No lifelong warfarin therapy to prevent the development of blood clots	>Shorter life span of 10 to 20 years >Poor durability due to the valves being designed with animal/human tissues

Figure 1

Image of a mechanical aortic valve

Minimally Invasive and Bloodless Heart Surgery Center. (2018, November 6). All About Mechanical

Heart Valves | Heart Surgery Information. Heart Surgery Information.

https://heartsurgeryinfo.com/mechanical-heart-valves/

Figure 2

Placement of a bioprosthetic mitral heart valve in a human body

Transcatheter Bioprosthetic Mitral Heart Valve | AMI: 2017 Annual Conference. (n.d.). https://meetingarchive.ami.org/2017/project/1117-2-16-6-2-14-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2/

Figure 3

An example of a tissue valve

Ahmed, Dr. M. (2017, September 10). Heart valve surgery - mechanical vs. Bioprosthetic – which is better? • Myheart. MyHeart.

https://myheart.net/articles/heart-valve-surgery-mechanical-vs-bioprosthetic-which-is-better/

In conclusion, all three different types of mitral valves have their pros and cons. Other than the different types of valves, the brand of the valves as well as the skills of the surgeons also play an important role in a patient's surgery and post-surgery. We then compare different companies and different types of mitral heart valves, as well as the pros and cons of each individual valve we come across. We use the information given from the official websites of the company to know more in detail about the specification of the valves, cross-referencing with supporting websites or news that is related to the progression or problems faced when using that particular aortic valve. We then narrow down our leads and decide which valve will be more suitable for our project, as all valves have their strengths and weaknesses. It really depends on who our target audience or patients are and what types of risks each individual patient might encounter.

 

After further understanding, we decided to focus on mechanical heart valves, specifically Abbott’s Masters HP 15 mm Mitral Mechanical Heart Valves, as we aim to target younger patients who require artificial aortic valves as our priority. The reason for picking the younger generation, which includes newborns and babies, is due to research that stated statistics and numbers of younger patients in Singapore and globally not being able to receive proper treatment due to their age and body size.

Reference:

1)https://heartsurgeryinfo.com/mechanical-heart-valves/

2)https://meetingarchive.ami.org/2017/project/1117-2-16-6-2-14-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2/

3)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK564339/#:~:text=The%20mechanical%20aortic%20valve%20has,done%20at%20a%20younger%20age.

4)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4526499/#:~:text=Mechanical%20heart%20valves%20are%20made,place%20of%20the%20original%20valve.

5)https://www.heart-valve-surgery.com/learning/biological-replacement-durability-epic-plus/#:~:text=Tissue%20valves%20or%20bioprosthetic%20valves%20generally%20can%20last%20anywhere%20from,they%20are%20likely%20to%20last.

6)https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/valve-replacement-mechanical-or-tissue#:~:text=Tissue%20valves%2C%20which%20are%20made,to%20outlive%20their%20new%20valves.

7)https://heartsurgeryinfo.com/mechanical-heart-valves/

8)https://meetingarchive.ami.org/2017/project/1117-2-16-6-2-14-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2/

9)https://myheart.net/articles/heart-valve-surgery-mechanical-vs-bioprosthetic-which-is-better/

10)https://www.singhealth.com.sg/patient-care/conditions-treatments/adult-congenital-heart-disease-achd

11)https://www.marchofdimes.org/find-support/topics/planning-baby/congenital-heart-defects-and-critical-chds

Self Intro

 

Descriptive reflection

Dear Professor Blackstone, 

 

I am writing to provide you with a brief introduction of myself. I am currently studying at the Singapore Institution of Technology as a Year 1 Mechanical Engineering student. My journey here follows my graduation from Temasek Polytechnic with a diploma in biomedical engineering in 2023. Preceding my entry to SIT, I completed an introductory university Mathematics course spanning from March to April 2023.

 

From a young age, I have harbored a fascination for the inner workings of mechanical and electronic devices. around us work. I observe individuals engrossed in their mobile phones, earbuds, laptops, and other devices. Over the years, I have observed how technology has transformed our way of life. This evolution ignited my determination to unravel the mechanics behind our everyday tools, employing the realms of technology, science, and mathematics to enhance the quality of our lives. This brings me to the field of engineering.

A cornerstone of my character lies in being an active listener. Whether conversing with close friends, acquaintances, or peers, I approach each interaction with undivided attention, allowing their words to take precedence without interruption. Whenever someone confides in me, whether in moments of elation or adversity, I strive to be a receptive ear, fostering an environment that encourages constructive feedback to flourish. This commitment to sincere communication stems from my belief in the transformative power of authenticity. Growing up, I felt that sincerity in communication helps to establish trust and foster deeper connections between individuals. 

In acknowledging areas for growth, I have come to recognise my tendency toward soft-spokenness. Particularly, in larger group settings, I often find myself withholding my voice unless prompted. This weakness of mine can sometimes inadvertently project an impression of reserve. It is a trait that I am still actively working to refine, seeking to exude confidence in communication, especially in a bigger crowd. 

 

Through this module, my aspiration is to become a better speaker. Firstly, I hope to cultivate a newfound confidence that will empower me to communicate effectively, regardless of the size of the audience. Additionally, I endeavor to deepen my appreciation for the art of communication, 

 

Lastly, I want to end this letter with an emphasis on the significance of diligence in my approach to learning. Regardless of the challenges that are ahead of me, my unwavering commitment to hard work remains steadfast. I firmly believe that perseverance yields its rewards in due time and sets me apart in my pursuit of excellence.

 

Yours sincerely, 

 

Zhou Min 

SIT, Freshman 

Interpretation of quotation

“Employers identify communication as one of the basic competencies every

graduate should have, asserting that the ability to communicate is valuable for

obtaining employment and maintaining successful job performance.”

Sherwyn Morreale, Michael Osborn & Judy Pearson,

Professors of Communication (2000)

To me this quote illustrates that effective communication in the workplace is crucial for securing employment and it is also a cornerstone of success and career growth. Graduates with good communication skills are able to take up leadership positions that requires them to inspire and influence others to provide constructive feedback and more likely to excel in their roles.