Two-dimensional stress-strain relationship for canine pericardium

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Veterinary Medicine

Background:

• The pericardium is a vital sac protecting the heart.
• Understanding its mechanical properties is crucial for cardiac research and medical device design.
• Canine pericardium is often used as a model tissue.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the two-dimensional pseudoelastic mechanical properties of canine pericardium.
• To develop and validate a constitutive model for pericardial tissue.
• To establish material constants for canine pericardium under biaxial loading.

Main Methods:

• In vitro biaxial stretching tests were performed on canine pericardium specimens.
• The pericardium was modeled as an orthotropic material with its symmetry axis aligned with the stretching axis.
• A new exponential type constitutive model was fitted to the experimental data.
• Material constants were determined for each specimen.

Main Results:

• A comprehensive dataset of canine pericardium mechanical behavior under biaxial stretching was generated.
• The novel constitutive model successfully fitted the experimental data.
• The model accurately predicted experimental results for constant lateral force and displacement tests.

Conclusions:

• The developed constitutive model provides a robust framework for describing the pseudoelasticity of canine pericardium.
• The determined material constants are valuable for computational modeling and biomechanical analysis.
• This research contributes to a deeper understanding of pericardial tissue mechanics.