QUANTIFYING EFFECTS OF CONTROLLING FACTORS ON FLOW AND STRESS DISTRIBUTION IN STENOTIC ARTERIES WITH LIPID CORES

2D and 3D multi-physics experiment-based nonlinear models with fluid-structure interactions (FSI) and structure-structure interactions (SSI) are introduced to model blood flow and stress/strain distributions in stenotic arteries with lipid pools. Material properties for the vessel and plaque are based on experimental measurements and information available in the literature (Huang et. al., 2001; Tang et. al., 2001). The Navier-Stokes equations are used as the governing equations for the fluid. Mooney-Rivlin models are used for both arteries and lipid cores. A well-tested finite element package ADINA is used to solve the models to perform flow and stress/strain analysis. Our results indicate that artery plaque stress/strain distributions are affected considerably (50%-400 % or even more) by vessel material properties, stenosis severity and eccentricity, tube axial pre-stretch, pressure conditions, lipid core material property, size, position an