Tuesday, October 14, 2025 10/14/2025

A comprehensive testing platform for mechanical heart valves to propel innovation towards anticoagulant-independence

Award Number: SC1HL155056
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL HEART, LUNG, & BLOOD INSTITUTE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/20/2020
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 03/31/2025

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A comprehensive testing platform for mechanical heart valves to propel innovation towards anticoagulant-independence - Project Summary Patients needing aortic valve replacement are faced with a choice between mechanical heart valves (MHVs) and bioprosthetic valves. For younger patients, MHVs are preferable because of their extreme durability, but they become dependent on anticoagulant therapy for the rest of their life. There is a strong need to spark innovation over the stagnant MHV design, which has not substantially changed in 40 years. The ultimate goal is to usher in a new generation of MHVs that achieve complete independence from anticoagulants. The Pl's long-term objective is to create and sustain a student-centered research environment for the design, prototyping and testing of novel MHV design paradigms that improve valve hemodynamic performance and reduce thrombogenicity. A substantial amount of work has already elucidated the importance of abnormal flow features in triggering platelet activation, and thus blood clotting, near the hinges and the closing of MHVs. To further advance the understanding of flow-induced blood clotting and identify anticoagulant-free MHV designs, the PI will develop a MHV testing platform that accounts for the effect of clot deposits on blood flow near the MHV and allows to reproduce comparable realistic flow conditions for both hemodynamic performance tests (which require an optically-clear blood analog) and thrombogenicity tests (which require real blood). To achieve that, the PI will combine a hydrodynamic tester for laser-based flow measurements and an unprecedented MHV thrombogenicity tester based on blood circulation through MHVs in a pumpless closed loop. The underlying hypothesis of this research is that, unlike with the pristine MHVs used for in-vitro and numerical studies, the deposition of clot on the MHV that occurs in-vivo significantly affects blood flow features, mechanical loading of platelets, and thrombus growth rate. Future MHV design strategies should consider the fundamental hemodynamic changes occurring after MHV implantation. The specific aims of this study are: Aim 1. Quantify the relationship between clot deposit extent, shear stress and platelet damage indices. Aim 2. Investigate hemodynamics and thrombogenicity of trileaflet MHVs, compared to bileaflet MHVs. Aim 3. Quantify the effect of valve size on flow velocities and shear stress near valve closure in MHVs. This project will (1) establish an accurate platform for comprehensive MHV hemodynamics/thrombogenicity testing that will propel innovation in the treatment of aortic valve disease; (2) demonstrate the role thrombus deposits play in thrombus growth; (3) demonstrate the viability of trileaflet MHVs for adult and pediatric populations. These outcomes lay the ground work for future research on anticoagulant-free MHVs that will transform treatment options and prognosis for younger patients and patients from developing countries. For the graduate and undergraduate students involved, including students from underrepresented minorities, this project is a unique research and educational opportunity that will enrich them professionally and increase their appeal to potential recruiters.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = -$22,224 )
2025	2023	SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION	210 N 4TH ST FL 4	SAN JOSE	CA	95112	SANTA CLARA	USA	Cardiovascular Diseases Research	000	4	7/30/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	-$22,224
														Subtotal = -$22,224

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $256,375 )
2023	2023	SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION	210 4TH ST 3RD FL	SAN JOSE	CA	95112	SANTA CLARA	USA	Cardiovascular Diseases Research	000	4	3/3/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$256,375
														Subtotal = $256,375

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $293,000 )
2022	2022	SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION	210 4TH ST 3RD FL	SAN JOSE	CA	95112	SANTA CLARA	USA	Cardiovascular Diseases Research	000	3	3/15/2022	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$293,000
														Subtotal = $293,000

Issue Date FY: 2021 ( Subtotal = $256,375 )
2021	2021	SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION	210 4TH ST 3RD FL	SAN JOSE	CA	95112	SANTA CLARA	USA	Cardiovascular Diseases Research	000	2	3/29/2021	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$256,375
														Subtotal = $256,375

Issue Date FY: 2020 ( Subtotal = $336,326 )
2020	2020	SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY RESEARCH FOUNDATION	210 FOURTH ST 4TH FL	SAN JOSE	CA	95112	SANTA CLARA	USA	Cardiovascular Diseases Research	000	1	4/17/2020	NEW	$336,326
														Subtotal = $336,326

Grand Total All Awards = $1,119,852

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A comprehensive testing platform for mechanical heart valves to propel innovation towards anticoagulant-independence

Award Number: SC1HL155056

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL HEART, LUNG, & BLOOD INSTITUTE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 04/20/2020

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 03/31/2025

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