Date of Award

6-2025

Degree Name

MS in Biomedical Engineering

Department/Program

Biomedical Engineering

College

College of Engineering

Advisor

Michael Whitt

Advisor Department

Biomedical Engineering

Advisor College

College of Engineering

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether different vascular phantoms, with and without a surrogate arm, could serve as effective analogs to the human brachial artery for assessing endothelial dysfunction, an early indicator of cardiovascular disease, particularly atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is characterized by plaque buildup and endothelial damage, which precede more severe clinical events and are often detectable through changes in vascular function. A 40” water tower was used to simulate diastolic pressure, enabling water flow through each phantom. Strain gauge pressure transducers were placed at both ends of the phantoms to measure pressure drop, while a microphone captured the sound profile of the flow. The sound was expected to vary between phantoms due to differences in their luminal endothelial linings, which affect Reynolds number and, consequently, friction factor and pressure drop. To analyze the sound data, a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) was applied to convert time domain signals into the frequency domain. A two factor ANOVA was then conducted to evaluate the effects of two variables: the presence of a surrogate arm and the type of vascular phantom. Results showed that both the type of phantom and the presence of the surrogate arm had statistically significant effects on the measured parameters. These findings suggest that this prototype system holds promise for non-invasive clinical evaluation of endothelial dysfunction and early-stage atherosclerosis, potentially enabling earlier diagnosis and treatment, when intervention is most effective, thereby improving patient outcomes and saving lives.

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