| CPC A61F 2/2415 (2013.01) [A61L 27/24 (2013.01); A61L 27/3625 (2013.01); A61L 27/3629 (2013.01); A61L 27/3691 (2013.01); A61L 31/005 (2013.01); G05B 19/4097 (2013.01); A61L 2430/20 (2013.01); G01N 21/21 (2013.01); G01N 21/5907 (2013.01); G05B 2219/36199 (2013.01); G05B 2219/45172 (2013.01)] | 20 Claims |

|
1. A method for manufacturing a bioprosthetic tissue leaflet from a collagenous tissue, the method comprising:
illuminating a piece of tissue comprising collagen with a light source having a linear polarization;
passing light transmitted through the piece of tissue through a linear polarizer;
detecting a first pattern in the light passed through the linear polarizer;
determining a first orientation or a first density of collagen bundles in at least a portion of the piece of tissue from the first detected pattern;
after determining the first orientation or first density of the collagen bundles, rotating the linear polarizer and detecting a second pattern of light passed through the linear polarizer;
determining a second orientation or a second density of collagen bundles in at least a portion of the piece of tissue from the second detected pattern;
selecting an area on the piece of tissue for a bioprosthetic tissue leaflet based on the first and second orientations or densities of collagen bundles; and
cutting the bioprosthetic tissue leaflet including the selected area.
|