Reconstruction of the Physiological Behavior of Real and Synthetic Vessels in Controlled Conditions

Abstract

The objective of this study is to assess the ability of an Artificial Circulatory Phantom (ACP) to verify its accuracy in simulating the movement of artificial vessels vs. real vessels under changing cardiovascular parameters such as heartbeat, ejection fraction, and total peripheral resistance. The experiments were conducted with blood-like fluid that flows through two types of vessels: iliac arteries and different types of ePTFE vascular prostheses. Parameters such as diameter and tortuosity were measured and analyzed. The flow characteristics included a pulsating pattern with a frequency of 60–120 min−1 and ejection volumes ranging from 70 to 115 mL. The results showed a predominantly positive correlation between wall displacement (Wd) and tortuosity index (Ti) for the iliac artery (R2 = 0.981), as well as between Wd and mean tortuosity index (MTi) (R2 = 0.994). Similarly, positive correlations between Wd and Ti (R2 = 0.942) and Wd and MTi (R2 = 0.922) were computed for the ePTFE vascular prosthesis. The ACP introduced in this study is a valuable tool for evaluating various vessel types and the spatial configurations of vascular prostheses under diverse hemodynamic conditions. These findings are promising for the advancement of novel approaches to the testing and design of vascular grafts, ultimately enhancing their patency rates in future applications.