• 3D printed-based models
• fluid dynamic analysis
• PIV

An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a permanent dilation at least 1,5 times the diameter of the healthy vessel. There are about 175,000 deaths a year worldwide, 80% of the cases associated with the AAA rupture. Scientific research on the altered hemodynamics of AAA is important to provide clinical support, in order to better understand the development of the pathology. Fluid dynamic simulations and experimental flow measurement, including the Particle Image Velocimetry technique (PIV), are two possible approaches adopted by research to investigate AAA hemodynamics. In particular, PIV is a technique used for measuring the instantaneous velocity field of a fluid.
The PIV experimental setup usually includes an illumination source, acquisition camera, optical device, synchronizer, phantom, fluid, and tracer particles.
This work is based on the in-vitro analysis of the fluid dynamic of deformable phantoms using PIV technique.
Two experiments were performed, in which various tests were conducted by changing the experimental parameters. From the first experiment, in which a deformable idealized fusiform AAA phantom was used, the experimental conditions were extracted to perform the second experiment, in which a deformable patient-specific AAA phantom was used.
Fluid dynamic data, in terms of flow and pressure waveforms were correlated with PIV-derived velocity distributions. Velocity magnitude maps / histograms, velocity streamlines and profiles were compared for all tests. The results showed a suitable configuration of the PIV setup with the successful characterization of AAA phantoms, with comparable case trends for all tests.