Ultrananocrystalline Diamond Integration with Pyrolytic Carbon Components of Mechanical Heart Valves.

In this report, an idea of integrating ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) with pyrolytic carbon (PyC) -based mechanical heart valves, has been demonstrated. The report addresses the strategies to avoid graphitization and film delamination during the diamond coating. Raman and scratch tests showed that a UNCD film with high purity could adhere to the PyC substrate strongly. A thrombin generation study demonstrated an excellent biocompatibility of UNCD towards fresh human platelets. These results suggest that UNCD could be a good candidate of surface material for next generation heart valves and other implantable devices.