TY - JOUR
T1 - Tensile and Compressive Mechanical Behaviour of Human Blood Clot Analogues
AU - Cahalane, Rachel M.E.
AU - de Vries, Judith J.
AU - de Maat, Moniek P.M.
AU - van Gaalen, Kim
AU - van Beusekom, Heleen M.
AU - van der Lugt, Aad
AU - Fereidoonnezhad, Behrooz
AU - Akyildiz, Ali C.
AU - Gijsen, Frank J.H.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Endovascular thrombectomy procedures are significantly influenced by the mechanical response of thrombi to the multi-axial loading imposed during retrieval. Compression tests are commonly used to determine compressive ex vivo thrombus and clot analogue stiffness. However, there is a shortage of data in tension. This study compares the tensile and compressive response of clot analogues made from the blood of healthy human donors in a range of compositions. Citrated whole blood was collected from six healthy human donors. Contracted and non-contracted fibrin clots, whole blood clots and clots reconstructed with a range of red blood cell (RBC) volumetric concentrations (5–80%) were prepared under static conditions. Both uniaxial tension and unconfined compression tests were performed using custom-built setups. Approximately linear nominal stress–strain profiles were found under tension, while strong strain-stiffening profiles were observed under compression. Low- and high-strain stiffness values were acquired by applying a linear fit to the initial and final 10% of the nominal stress–strain curves. Tensile stiffness values were approximately 15 times higher than low-strain compressive stiffness and 40 times lower than high-strain compressive stiffness values. Tensile stiffness decreased with an increasing RBC volume in the blood mixture. In contrast, high-strain compressive stiffness values increased from 0 to 10%, followed by a decrease from 20 to 80% RBC volumes. Furthermore, inter-donor differences were observed with up to 50% variation in the stiffness of whole blood clot analogues prepared in the same manner between healthy human donors.
AB - Endovascular thrombectomy procedures are significantly influenced by the mechanical response of thrombi to the multi-axial loading imposed during retrieval. Compression tests are commonly used to determine compressive ex vivo thrombus and clot analogue stiffness. However, there is a shortage of data in tension. This study compares the tensile and compressive response of clot analogues made from the blood of healthy human donors in a range of compositions. Citrated whole blood was collected from six healthy human donors. Contracted and non-contracted fibrin clots, whole blood clots and clots reconstructed with a range of red blood cell (RBC) volumetric concentrations (5–80%) were prepared under static conditions. Both uniaxial tension and unconfined compression tests were performed using custom-built setups. Approximately linear nominal stress–strain profiles were found under tension, while strong strain-stiffening profiles were observed under compression. Low- and high-strain stiffness values were acquired by applying a linear fit to the initial and final 10% of the nominal stress–strain curves. Tensile stiffness values were approximately 15 times higher than low-strain compressive stiffness and 40 times lower than high-strain compressive stiffness values. Tensile stiffness decreased with an increasing RBC volume in the blood mixture. In contrast, high-strain compressive stiffness values increased from 0 to 10%, followed by a decrease from 20 to 80% RBC volumes. Furthermore, inter-donor differences were observed with up to 50% variation in the stiffness of whole blood clot analogues prepared in the same manner between healthy human donors.
KW - Acute ischemic stroke
KW - Composition
KW - Experimental testing
KW - Histology
KW - Material behaviour
KW - Mechanical thrombectomy
KW - Thrombus
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85153077738&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10439-023-03181-6
DO - 10.1007/s10439-023-03181-6
M3 - Article
C2 - 37071278
AN - SCOPUS:85153077738
VL - 51
SP - 1759
EP - 1768
JO - Annals of Biomedical Engineering
JF - Annals of Biomedical Engineering
SN - 0090-6964
IS - 8
ER -