UBCO’s Dr. Hadi Mohammadi holds his latest innovation—a manufactured heart valve/ UBCO

By Vernon Matters Staff

breakthrough

UBCO researchers hope mechanical heart valve leads to better outcomes

May 28, 2025 | 4:53 PM

Researchers at UBC Okanagan have created a new mechanical heart valve they hope will offer better performance and longevity for those with certain heart disease.

The iValve, designed at UBC, is now being prepared for animal and clinical trials, bringing it one step closer to becoming a reality.

Dr. Hadi Mohammadi, who runs the Heart Valve Performance Laboratory at UBCO’s School of Engineering, and Dr. Dylan Goode, have been testing their mechanical device.

They think it could outperform others currently available.

In a media release, UBCO said the research, published recently in the Journal of Biomechanics, determines that Mechanical Heart Valves (MHV) may outperform tissue valves under certain conditions.

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“This is the first time we’ve been able to make this claim,” Dr. Mohammadi said. “While more testing is needed to fully understand what causes the differences in how each valve performs, we are excited about the potential of this significant achievement.”

Calcific valvular heart disease—when one or more of the heart valves do not open or close properly due to calcification—is projected to affect some 4.5 million people by 2030, making it the most prevalent valvular heart condition in aging populations.

More info here.