| Summary: | Background: So far, in the stress calculation of the plaques, the blood has been simulated as a single component, and the role of the mechanical interaction between the red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), and plasma with that of the plaque has been neglected. This study was aimed at proposing an interactive method based on smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH), a fully mesh-free particle approach, to simulate the blood as a fluid with free surfaces, including the RBC, WBC, and plasma, to determine the vulnerable plaque on a basis of the induced stresses.
Materials and methods: A three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) model of the atherosclerotic coronary artery was established according to the CT/MRI data of a patient. SPH method was employed toward our blood particles simulation by deriving the force density fields directly from the Navier-Stokes equation and incorporated into the FE equations. The stress in the plaque, necrotic core (NC), and arterial layers were then calculated and compared.
Results: The results revealed the highest stress in the adventitia layer while the lowest one was observed in the media. Regarding the blood components, the plasma experienced the highest stress in the downstream while the RBCs and WBCs in the location where in the direct contact with the plaque tissue.
Conclusions: The results have implications for understanding the roles of RBCs, WBCs, and plasma in inducing the stresses and deformations in the plaques and arterial layers to provide plaque vulnerability prediction information for the medical and biomechanical experts.
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