This Company Is Reinventing the Heart Valve

There are generally two types of heart valves on the market today: mechanical, and tissue-based prosthetic heart valves. If you get a mechanical heart valve it will probably last you the rest of your life, but you'll also be on blood thinners for the rest of your life. If you get a tissue heart valve like the ones made by Edwards Lifesciences, Abbott, or Medtronic you won't need lifelong blood thinners, but you may end up needing a another valve replacement down the road.

Foldax, a Salt Lake City, UT-based startup, is trying to eliminate that tradeoff by developing a new type of heart valve.