Figure 13. Technical aspects of personalized external aortic root support.

Measurements made on the MRI and the model created from it by computer aided design (A). Soft macroporous, PET based, warp knitted, mesh sleeve (B&C) supported by the replica of the aorta made by rapid prototyping. Variety of aorta models (E). MRI scans showing aortic valve support after implementation (D). Reprinted with permission from⁵⁹. Mesh grafted carotid artery of sheep; in some samples graft material shone through the vessel wall (arrow), (F&G). Elastica staining of the wrapped carotid artery with preserved vessel architecture (i: intima; m: media; a: adventitia) and fibrotic incorporated mesh material (arrow) in periarterial tissue (H). Reprinted with permission from⁶⁰.