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Updated: Apr 12, 2026
Quantitative Micro-CT Analysis of Aortopathy in a Mouse Model of β-aminopropionitrile-induced Aortic Aneurysm and Dissection
Published on: July 16, 2018
Development and testing of a silicone in vitro model of descending aortic dissection
Joav Birjiniuk1, Jean Marie Ruddy2, Elizabeth Iffrig1
1Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia.
Background:
Stanford type B dissection of the descending aorta is a potentially fatal condition that is poorly understood. Limited scientific understanding of the role of current interventional techniques, as well as heterogeneity in the condition, contributes to lack of consensus as to the most effective treatment strategy. This study introduces an anatomically accurate model for investigating aortic dissection in a laboratory setting.
Materials And Methods:
A silicone model was fabricated and filled with fluid to mimic human blood. Flow was established, and the model was scanned using a four-dimensional flow magnetic resonance imaging protocol. On analysis, luminal flow rates were quantified by multiplying local velocity by included area.
Results:
The upstream total flow was compared with the sum of the flow in the true and false lumens. The two values were within the margin of error. Furthermore, flow rates matched with the relative areas of each compartment.
Conclusions:
These results validate our model as a novel and unique system that mimics a type B aortic dissection and will allow for more sophisticated analysis of dissection physiology in future studies.
