The picture is of an aortic valve freshly dissected from a donated human heart, sitting on the aseptic processing field at the CryoLife tissue lab outside Atlanta. It is currently in a solution of tissue culture media to ensure the cells remain viable, and will undergo decontamination processes and cryopreservation at liquid nitrogen temperatures before storing. The valve regulates the flow of freshly oxygenated blood from the heart’s left ventricle in to the aorta, the largest artery in the human body. Heart defects present at birth, infections, and age-related problems can all impair heart valve function, necessitating replacement surgery. CryoLife began storing frozen human valves for surgeons in 1984; previously, replacement valves often came from pigs.
Nathaniel Perkel/CryoLife, Inc.
October 4th, 2010 at 4:33 pm
Woot! New Dexter! Come on, I wasn’t the only one thinking it.
~Rhaco
October 4th, 2010 at 4:53 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Science News, Sains & Teknologi, Al Poe, Maggie, World Amazing Things and others. World Amazing Things said: Your (Cryogenically) Cold Heart | Visual Science: The picture is of an aortic valve freshly dissected from a dona… http://bit.ly/cwNRzQ [...]
October 4th, 2010 at 10:56 pm
What a beautiful picture.
October 5th, 2010 at 4:55 am
[...] Visual Science. Kategori: Personligt Etiketter: Aorta, Biologi, Döden, Evolution, Inspiration, Livet, Vetenskap [...]
October 6th, 2010 at 5:47 pm
In 1992, my 5 day old son got a cryopreserved aorta from a 5 year old.
It was used to make him a pulmonary artery, which he otherwise lacks.
Since then he has had several more as the preserved item does not grow.
Thanks for the reminder.
And a very heartflet thansk to the families of organ donors everywhere. You did a good thing.
R