Authors

Fariha Murshid

Document Type

Honors Thesis

Abstract

The need to prevent autotransplantation in patients with cardiovascular diseases has led to the increase in interest in the use of artificial vascular grafts (e.g. tissue engineered or synthetic grafts) as potential replacements for diseased blood vessels. Testing for the flow rate-diameter relationships of artificial small-diameter vascular grafts, using the biomechanical testing system, can help to determine their suitability of being potential replacements based on their biomechanical characteristics. Phosphate buffered saline (PBS) is pumped through each sample over a range of flow rates (gradually increasing from 1 mL/s), with the intention of mimicking extreme cases of increased blood flow through the blood vessels in the body under abnormal or diseased states. A highresolution camera captures changes in the grafts’ outer diameters. Using data from these studies can help to determine the appropriate type of graft to implant into patients. Generally, longer and/or wider grafts were observed to have experienced less significant changes in their diameters, as opposed to their counterparts. However, the degree of deformation has shown to be more directly related to their elastic properties.

Publication Date

5-1-2019

Language

English

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