Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 25, 2026
Ex Vivo Perfusion of the Rodent Placenta
Published on: May 30, 2019
Ex Vivo Human Placental Perfusion Model for Analysis of Fetal Circulation in the Chorionic Plate
Zoya Gordon1, Lilia Glaubach2, David Elad2
1Ultrasound Unit in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Lis Maternity Hospital, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel-Aviv, Israel (Z.G., A.J.J.); Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hillel Yaffe Medical Center, Hadera, Israel (L.G.); Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering (D.E., U.Z.), and Sackler Faculty of Medicine (D.E., A.J.J.), Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel; and Department of Medical Engineering, Afeka, Tel-Aviv Academic College of Engineering, Tel Aviv, Israel (Z.G.). zoyag@tasmc.health.gov.il.
Objectives:
The purpose of this study was to develop an ex vivo placental perfusion model to assess changes in the umbilical artery systolic-to-diastolic (S/D) ratio due to progressive occlusion of the placental arterial system.
Methods:
Ex vivo human placentas were connected to a computerized pulse duplicator mimicking pulsatile flow from the fetal heart. Doppler sonographic measurements were conducted on the umbilical and chorionic arteries of 25 mature placentas. Simulation of placental occlusion was performed by progressive ligature of the chorionic arteries, including one umbilical artery. The correlation between the umbilical artery S/D ratio and the severity of simulated placental occlusion was analyzed.
Results:
The normal mean S/D ratio ± SD decreased gradually along the chorionic plate from 2.66 ± 0.47 at the cord insertion to 1.90 ± 0.59 in generation IV of the chorionic vessels. The Doppler index initially increased slowly with simulated placental occlusion. Only when all 4 generations were occluded was the umbilical artery S/D ratio elevated. Complete occlusion of one umbilical artery resulted in a 39% increase in the umbilical artery S/D ratio.
Conclusions:
This unique model combining Doppler sonography with perfusion of an ex vivo placenta can be used for a better understudying of pathologic placental blood flow circulation.
More Related Videos
08:08Determination of the Transport Rate of Xenobiotics and Nanomaterials Across the Placenta using the ex vivo Human Placental Perfusion Model
Published on: June 18, 2013
04:17Author Spotlight: Advancing Research Through Single Cell Sequencing and Spatial Histology in Placental Tissues
Published on: September 8, 2023
