Structure and Rheological Properties of Bovine Aortic Heart Valve and Pericardium Tissue: Implications in Bioprosthetic and Tissue-Engineered Heart Valves

Figure 2

(a) SEM of a cross section of the aortic bovine heart valve leaflets. (i) indicates a cross section of the heart valve at magnification 54x; (ii) and (iii) indicate the three distinct layers fibrosa, spongiosa, and ventricularis clearly visible at magnification of 461x and 3350x, respectively. (b) SEM of cross section of the bovine pericardium: (i) and (ii) indicate two layers of pericardium; a and b represent serous pericardium of 55.85 and 55.95 thickness (partial layer and visceral layer/epidermal), (c) represents pericardial cavity, and (d) represents fibrous pericardium of 55.85 μm thickness.

(a)

(b)