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Updated: Oct 1, 2025

Three-dimensional Rendering and Analysis of Immunolabeled, Clarified Human Placental Villous Vascular Networks
Published on: March 29, 2018
Developments in functional imaging of the placenta
Alys Clark1, Dimitra Flouri2,3, Nada Mufti3,4
1Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Abstract:
The placenta is both the literal and metaphorical black box of pregnancy. Measurement of the function of the placenta has the potential to enhance our understanding of this enigmatic organ and serve to support obstetric decision making. Advanced imaging techniques are key to support these measurements. This review summarises emerging imaging technology being used to measure the function of the placenta and new developments in the computational analysis of these data. We address three important examples where functional imaging is supporting our understanding of these conditions: fetal growth restriction, placenta accreta, and twin-twin transfusion syndrome.
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