Estimation of Biomechanical Properties of Normal and Atherosclerotic Common Carotid Arteries

• Published in: Cardiovascular engineering and technology Vol. 10; no. 1; pp. 112 - 123
• Main Authors: Soleimani, Effat, Mokhtari-Dizaji, Manijhe, Fatouraee, Nasser, Saberi, Hazhir
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.03.2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Algorithms; Arteries; Atherosclerosis; Biomechanical Phenomena; Biomechanics; Biomedical Engineering and Bioengineering; Biomedicine; Blood pressure; Cardiology; Carotid arteries; Carotid Artery, Common - diagnostic imaging; Carotid Artery, Common - physiopathology; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; Carotid Stenosis - diagnostic imaging; Carotid Stenosis - physiopathology; Case-Control Studies; Dynamic programming; Elastic Modulus; Empirical analysis; Engineering; Hemodynamics; Humans; Male; Mathematical models; Middle Aged; Models, Cardiovascular; Modulus of elasticity; Optimization techniques; Parameter modification; Patients; Plaque, Atherosclerotic; Severity of Illness Index; Statistical analysis; Strain relaxation; Stress relaxation; Stress, Mechanical; Ultrasonic testing; Veins & arteries; Waveforms; Biomechanical properties; Ultrasonic images; Carotid artery; Parameter optimization
• ISSN: 1869-408X; 1869-4098; 1869-4098
• DOI: 10.1007/s13239-018-00389-9

Purpose We developed a modified Kelvin model so that the periodic changes of the arterial intima–media thickness (IMT) over the cardiac cycle were involved. Modified model was implemented for carotid artery, solved via a parameter optimization technique and biomechanical parameters of the model. Methods Consecutive ultrasonic images of the common carotid artery of 30 male patients including 10 healthy subjects, 10 subjects with mild and 10 subjects with sever stenosis were recorded and processed offline. Temporal changes of the internal diameter and IMT were extracted using a combined maximum gradient and dynamic programming algorithm. The blood pressure waveforms were deduced calibrating the internal diameter waveforms using an empirical exponential relationship. Results According to the results of the ANOVA statistical analysis, mean values of the zero pressure radiuses, stress relaxation times, elastic moduli and strain relaxation times of the common carotid arteries of three groups were significantly different. Mentioned parameters increased 11, 24, 7 and 6% in patients with mild (< 50%) stenosis and 12, 73, 8 and 61% in the group with sever stenosis (> 50%) relative to healthy group. Conclusion Present study can be an indicative of the general state of the vascular system and be used for discriminating atherosclerotic from healthy arteries.