Biomechanics of Arterial Tissue Failure at Multiple Length Scales

该奖项的研究目标是促进我们对动脉组织机械失效机制的理解，重点是动脉粥样硬化斑块失效。动脉组织衰竭导致几种危及生命的临床状况，包括动脉粥样硬化斑块破裂和主动脉夹层。动脉组织与用于工程和制造应用的纤维增强复合材料具有结构相似性。在这个项目中，理论和分析方法开发，以描述增强复合材料的故障将扩展到解释动脉粥样硬化小鼠斑块失败的实验研究的结果，发展斑块在人类中看到的。该研究将结合联合收割机的实验研究的结构和生物化学之间的界面组织层在动脉粥样硬化小鼠动脉的理论和计算模型的分层机制在宏观和微观的长度尺度的发展。该模型将被用来模拟控制剥离/分层实验动脉粥样硬化小鼠动脉使用凝聚区和微观力学方法。然后将使用经验证的模型来预测导致动脉组织衰竭的那些条件。在小鼠研究中开发的连续体和微观力学建模方法可以很容易地修改，以了解人类疾病中的组织失效过程。拟议的努力有可能对患者管理产生积极影响，同时指导制定成功的干预措施。所建立的模型也适用于具有相似结构和材料性能的非生物复合材料的失效分析。对动脉组织粘附和失效机制的深入了解预计将证明对生物医学设备行业有用，例如在改进的仿生手术粘合剂的开发中。该项目的教育和外展方面包括生物力学本科生培训，通过“带路项目”向STEM学科的高中教师外展，以及加强南卡罗来纳州大学新的生物医学工程项目。

The research objective of this award is to advance our understanding of mechanical failure mechanisms in arterial tissue, focusing on atherosclerotic plaque failure. Arterial tissue failure leads to several life-threatening clinical conditions, including atherosclerotic plaque rupture and aortic dissection. Arterial tissue has structural similarities to fiber-reinforced composite materials used for engineering and manufacturing applications. In this project, theoretical and analytical approaches developed to describe failure of reinforced composites will be extended to interpret the results of experimental studies of plaque failure in atherosclerotic mice, which develop plaques comparable to those seen in humans. The research will combine experimental studies of the structure and biochemistry of the interface between tissue layers in atherosclerotic mouse arteries with development of theoretical and computational models of delamination mechanisms at both macroscopic and microscopic length scales. The models will be used to simulate controlled peeling/delamination experiments on atherosclerotic mouse arteries using both cohesive zone and micromechanical approaches. The validated models will then be used to predict those conditions that result in arterial tissue failure. The continuum and micromechanical modeling approaches developed in mouse studies can be readily modified to understand tissue failure processes in human diseases. The proposed effort has potential to positively impact patient management, while guiding the development of successful interventions. The models developed will also be applicable for analyzing failure of non-biological composite materials having similar structure and material properties. The insight gained into mechanisms of arterial tissue adhesion and failure is expected to prove useful to the biomedical device industry, for example in the development of improved biomimetic surgical adhesives. The educational and outreach aspects of the project include undergraduate training in biomechanics, outreach to high school teachers in STEM subjects through Project Lead the Way, and strengthening the new Biomedical Engineering Program at the University of South Carolina.