Measuring the Layer Thickness Distribution in Aortic Valve Cusps using High-Frequency Ultrasound

摘要

A non-destructive high-frequency ultrasound method for measuring the thickness of thin tissue layers was adapted to map the thicknesses of the fibrosa, spongiosa, and ventricularis layers of aortic vaive cusps. Measurement of thirteen porcine aortic valve cusps yielded results of (mean ± standard deviation) 0.81 ± 0.13 mm, 0.30 ± 0.07 mm, 0.23 ± 0.05 mm, and 0.32 ± 0.08 mm for the total, fibrosa, spongiosa, and ventricularis thicknesses, respectively. The relative distribution of layer thicknesses of fresh, intact cusps measured with this method differs from that of fixed, sliced cusps measured with conventional methods.