September 17, 2003 New Artificial Heart Valve Sara James News Editor News ¢ theother press © Combined efforts of researchers from Canada’s National Research Council Integrated Manufacturing Technologies Institute (NRC-IMTI), the University of Western Ontario, and the London Health Sciences Centre successfully cre- ated a new artificial heart valve. The recent breakthrough has the potential to provide cardiac patients with significant benefits. The heart valve is a single piece, tri- leaflet constructed from polymer-water material known as hydrogel. The new design and material enables valve leaflets to expand while opening. Flexibility of valve, while remaining taut, was one of the goals of the researchers. Artificial heart valves open and close 30 million times per year, which limits the lifespan of the valves. Heavy usage of the valves can lead to blood clotting, calcification, and leaflet tearing. Researchers created the new material by applying a freeze-thaw technique, which transferred a liquid polymer solu- tion into an elastic hydrogel biomateri- al. The new valve has the same mechan- ical properties of the aorta, reducing the stress placed on the artificial valve’s components by 40 percent, resulting in a longer artificial heart lifespan. MED TECH/UWO Medical Devices Prototype Fund assisted the project through additional funding. IMT is a National Research Council (NRC) manufacturing laboratory com- mitted to the development and applica- tion of economical viable scientific and technological knowledge. Partnerships with governments, industries, and uni- versities enable IMTI to: perform research in systems simulation and con- trol and in production technologies, focus on the development, and imple- mentation of virtual manufacturing, and work with other innovative labora- tories. Systems simulations and control research and production technology research are IMTT’s fields of expertise. Production technology research is centred on laser-based manufacturing. Systems simulations and control research concentrates on tools and tech- nologies that can assist Canadian man- ufacturers. The Medical Device s Manufacturing (MDM) group of IMTI provides baseline technologies for the design and manufacture of advanced medical device technologies. MDM'’s goals include development of Canadian based core competencies applicable to the medical research com- munity’s manufacturing needs, and pro- vide the latest research knowledge to Canada’s medical devices industries through freeform fabrication and virtu- al reality technology. Sara James News Editor The provincial government's Treaty negotia- tors have offered the Haida Nation a treaty land package that included 200,000 hectares of provincial Crown land. The offer includes lands indentified by the Haida Nation as cul- turally and economically significant. According to a Treaty Negotiations Office Information Bulletin, the treaty land package “will provide the Haida Nation with owner- ship and/or influence over about 20 percent of the Queen Charlotte Islands, also known as Haida Gwaii.” The bulk of the land is in an area known as Duu Guusd (northwest Graham Island and Langara Island). The additional lands being offered are located in the south-eastern region of Graham Island and select areas of Moresby Island. The treaty land package offer is contingent upon the Haida Nation resuming treaty nego- tiations. The offer, which does not include cash, is on the table until March 3, 2004. The offer was designed to encourage nego- tiations between the Haida Nation, and the governments of BC and Canada. The govern- Cramped Closet Space? The Students’ Union’s Pride Collective has some wonderful solutions. The Pride Collective meets Thursdays at 4:30 in the Pride Resource Room (Room 328 in the Students’ Union Building). All lesbian, gay, bi, transgendered, allied and questioning students are welcome. ment hopes treaty negotiations can be solved outside of the courts. In March 2002, the Haida Nation filed a lawsuit claiming ownership of the Queen Charlotte Islands and surrounding waters. Substantial oil and gas reserves are believed to be in the regions listed in the lawsuit. The proposal details lands not included in the package including: provincial parks, pro- tected areas, ecological reserves, and subsur- face resources. Contingents in the offer stipu- late that the Haida Nation must stop all land claim court proceedings if they accept the land treaty package. In addition to their land claims, the Haida Nation is involved in court proceedings with BC. One of the cases is centred on a tree farm licence acquired by Weyerhaeuser (obtained from the MacMillan Bloedel takeover). The case, in which the BC Court of Appeal ruled that BC and Weyerhaeuser had a legal obliga- tion to consult and seek to accommodate the Haida Nation in the transfer and placement of the tree farm licence, is being appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada. Douglas Students’ Union Canadian Federation of Students Local 18 http://www.otherpress.ca e Page 5