Affiliations: GWW School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
Note: [] Address for correspondence: David N. Ku, MD, PhD, GWW School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 315 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332-0405, USA. Tel.: +1 404 894 6827; Fax: +1 404 385 1397; E-mail: david.ku@me.gatech.edu.
Abstract: Occlusive thrombosis accounts for many heart attacks and strokes. These acute events are difficult to catch in patients and animal test methods may be misleading because anti-thrombotic therapeutics often do not cross-react with different species. This paper presents a new flow-through system that leads to rapid occlusive thrombosis in arterial flow conditions. Whole porcine blood is perfused through a tubular test section. The growing thrombus is visualized in real time from early platelet attachment, through accumulation, to occlusion. The progression of flow rate reduction provides a clear distinguishing parameter between thrombus formation and embolization. Thrombus growth rate is a linear function of very high shear rate beyond 40,000 s−1. The histology of the thrombus reveals predominantly platelet accumulation and growth as a rough surface with tendrils. This flow-through system may be useful for the economic testing of new anti-thrombosis therapies.
Keywords: Occlusion, stenosis, high shear, thrombosis, platelet
Journal: Biorheology, vol. 44, no. 4, pp. 273-284, 2007
