Titanium Prosthetic Heart valve discs are replaced by UHMW HDPE material

During 1990’s in India, around 45,000 to 50000 people were using Titanium metal based Prosthetic heart valve discs for their Heart surgeries. Central Govt. Research Institute wanted to change the same valve discs from metal to plastics. Based on the CGRI request the Ultra High Molecular Weight HDPE material was supplied to the CGRI Research Lab and various trials were conducted. Finally, Titanium metal was replaced with UHMW HDPE material. But the CGRI Institute, wanted to use the Medicated grade of plastic material & assisting them to Import from USA.

The heart metal valve discs costs were Rs.50,000 to 60,000  are now replaced by UHMW HDPE at a cost of Rs.1500 cost.

Today in India around 75,000 to 80,000 patients are fixed with such plastic valve discs at a cost of Rs.6000 each instead of Rs.60000 to 75,000 Titanium metal valves currently. We were involved as Application developer and organizing Imported and Domestic samples.