Imaging vascular implant development with optical coherence tomography

Polymeric vascular grafts that include an inner lining of autologous cells are developed. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is used in characterizing the development of smooth muscle cell sodded grafts within the sterile environment of the bioreactor, including quantitative measures of the thickness of the this layer. The resolution of the OCT system is sufficient for differentiating the proliferating layer of smooth muscle cells from the underlying polymeric graft.