Evaluating the effects of cold storage on vascular grafts using bioimpedance measurement techniques

Abstract

The most common vascular preservation method for cardiovascular and transplantation surgeries is cold storage where the vessels are cooled down and kept in a preservation solution till the surgery can be performed. The process of cooling and storage of the vascular tissue affects the quality of the graft. The currently used methods for evaluating the quality of the vascular grafts which are cold stored are destructive and invasive and require segmenting and staining. Bioimpedance measurement technique is a non-destructive method, and the objective of this work was therefore to study how changes in the structure and morphology of the grafts during the cold storage period affect bioimpedance measurements. Bioimpedance measurement technique was employed as a non invasive method to study and evaluate the changes in the quality of ovine jugular veins and carotid artery during 30 days of cold storage in UW solution. The results of the study show that bioimpedance measurement technique can be used for non-invasive and non-destructive monitoring of the quality of the blood vessels during the cold storage period.