Abstract
Arterial disease is highly prevalent and causes many fatalities every year. Arterial diseases can often be recognised by the narrowing of the arteries, caused by a build-up of plaque. These narrowed regions are called stenosis, and can cause changes in the haemodynamics within a vessel. Haemodynamics therefore, can be an indicator of arterial disease.This thesis investigates methods of simulating blood flow for clinical applications. Physical flow phantoms of simplified vessel structures with varying levels of stenosis based on the geometry of the human carotid artery were investigated. The potential for additive manufacturing to be involved in creating blood flow phantoms was researched and discussed. It was found that it was possible to 3D print flexible vessels with a density similar to that of human tissue and use them in a flow circuit. There is huge potential for AM to be explored further in flow phantom applications.
Date of Award | 2023 |
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Original language | English |
Awarding Institution |
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Supervisor | Peter Hoskins (Supervisor) & Robert Keatch (Supervisor) |