A New Treatment Option for Congenital Heart Defects, Phase 2

Overview

One in one hundred children born in the United States alone is born with a congenital heart defect (or CHD). A CHD is any defect that is present at birth, which can vary from a hole in the septum to anatomical deformities. One treatment for certain CHDs is a right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction surgery. This uses a valved conduit to bypass blocked blood flow passages. Some biological valved conduits have been proven to have much higher rates of endocarditis. I believe that I can make a valved conduit that utilizes rubber silicone and has an efficiency rate of at least 99%. I cut out and roll up a piece of Neoprene rubber, which is held together by a silicone adhesive. I then use the adhesive to stick a metal ring inside the conduit. Afterward, I put the valve on the metal ring using the adhesive. I test the conduit’s efficiency rate by using a vacuum to open and close the valve. I test the valve's ability to open and close 200 times each. One hundred percent of the testing, the valve opened and closed on command. This proves my hypothesis correct.

Competition history

• ISEF 2021 Biomedical Engineering · Entry ENBM051

Resources

• ISEF abstract page ↗

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