Title: Simulation of arteriosclerosis in a virtual artery

Authors: James E. Kennedy, Clement L. Higginbotham, Pierre-Antoine Fourrier, Keith Vaugh

Addresses: Materials Research Institute, Athlone Institute of Technology, Dublin Rd, Athlone, Co. Westmeath, Ireland. ' Materials Research Institute, Athlone Institute of Technology, Dublin Rd, Athlone, Co. Westmeath, Ireland. ' Department of Mechanical/Polymer Engineering, Athlone Institute of Technology, Dublin Rd, Athlone, Co. Westmeath, Ireland. ' Department of Mechanical/Polymer Engineering, Athlone Institute of Technology, Dublin Rd, Athlone, Co. Westmeath, Ireland

Abstract: Finite element analysis (FEA) was developed for the analysis of systems that are geometrically difficult to define, precluding the use of closed form calculations for stress, displacement, etc. This makes FEA a perfect tool for the detailed analysis of biological, specifically biomechanical, systems. This work has focused on the development of a virtual simplified artery using finite element analysis and Visual Basic programming. From the results obtained, important observations were made when analysing the virtual growth of arteriosclerosis process. It was found that the effect of virtual arteriosclerosis, is not life threatening until the virtual artery was within 17% of being closed. Also, it was noted that the elasticity of the virtual artery decreased due to the increased build up of virtual plaque.

Keywords: finite element analysis; FEA; biomedical systems; arteriosclerosis; virtual arteries; soft tissue; virtual plaque; wall shear stress; Bernoulli equation; Young|s modulus; kinetic energy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMEI.2010.029806

International Journal of Medical Engineering and Informatics, 2010 Vol.2 No.1, pp.82 - 93

Published online: 02 Dec 2009 *

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