Methods for measuring a bio-material for use in an implant

The present invention relates to systems and methods for measuring the thickness of sheet-like bio-materials and, in particular, to an improved pericardial tissue mapping and marking system and methods therefore, especially for measuring tissue to be used for making prosthetic heart valve leaflets. A system and method to facilitate thickness measurement of bio-material workpiece, preferably a sheet, and to topographically map the sheet into similar thickness zones for later use. In particular, the system may include a three-axis programmable controller for manipulating a bio-material workpiece with respect to a thickness measurement head. The measurement head may include a plurality of sensors for simultaneous measurement of a plurality of points, with the sensors being adapted to contact the sheet or not. A robust human-machine interface is also provided for process control, preferably including a touch-screen monitor. A marking head may be provided for marking the zones or otherwise indicating the thickness in different areas. Two platens are desirably used in parallel for increased thoughput; the workpiece on one platen may be measured while the other is marked. The system and method are especially suited for assessing and marking pericardial tissue for forming heart valve leaflets. The system may also include logic that analyzes the thickness data and generates a thickness map of the sheet divided into similar thickness zones from which similarly sized leaflets can be cut. A preferred thickness of leaflet may be input with the logic selecting the zones to maximize the available tissue for that size of leaflet.