Blood compatibility of a newly developed trileaflet mechanical heart valve.

An ideal heart valve prosthesis, which has both the flow dynamic properties and blood compatibility of a tissue valve prosthesis and the durability of a mechanical prosthesis, does not exist. The Triflo trileaflet mechanical heart valve (MHV; Triflo Medical Inc., Irvine, CA) is a newly developed MHV prosthesis with the following design goals: central flow, minimal flow disturbance and stasis around the hinge region, and durability.