Engineers use computer simulation to design synthetic blo...( A team of engineers and surgeons led ...)

Engineers use computer simulation to design synthetic blood vessels

A team of engineers and surgeons led by Dr. Clement Kleinstreuer, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at North Carolina State University, is using computer simulation to pioneer new, experimental methods of designing synthetic arteries, veins and bypass grafts.

The goal of the research is to design biocompatible synthetic blood vessels that promote smooth, even blood flow.

If successful, the research which is now in the virtual prototyping stage would be a boon for patients whose blood vessels are damaged or partially occluded, such as patients at risk of stroke due to arterial plaque buildup, or dialysis patients who must endure repeated trauma to their veins as they receive weekly blood-cleansing treatments.

Kleinstreurer is an expert on the use of computer simulation to model fluid-particle dynamics. His research team includes Dr. Joseph P. Archie Jr., a vascular surgeon at Wake Medical Center and adjunct professor in NC State's Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, and Dr. George A. Truskey, associate professor of biomedical engineering at Duke University.

Their research is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and industry.

For dialysis patients, Kleinstreuer's virtual prototyping technology could result in better arteriovenous access grafts. These grafts provide a portal through which the patient's blood is removed, purified in an artificial kidney and then returned to the body. The conventional teflon-based, tubular graft now used to administer dialysis is subject to frequent failure at the graft-to-vein junction, meaning a patient may run out of healthy vein entry ports.

A synthetic arteriovenous access graft, based on a design by Kleinstreuer's team and manufactured by a company that specializes in vascular products, shows promise of resolving this problem. It's performed well in clinical trials and laboratory tests. "We analyzed the product, which was b
'"/>

Contact: Dr. Clement Kleinstreuer
ck@eos.ncsu.edu
919-515-5261
North Carolina State University
5-Apr-2001

Page: 1 2
Related medicine news :

1. Engineers develop biowarfare sensing elements for future highly sensitive nerve-gas detectors
2. UK Engineers open flight path to quieter aircraft
3. Engineers model blood flow
4. Rutgers College of Nursing faculty member is funded to develop an interactive computer system
5. International gathering at UH examines top computer code
6. Study finds computer vignette to be effective way to measure quality of physician practice
7. College of Nursing professor develops videos for computers to reduce HIV sexual risk behavior
8. Child health improvement through computer automation
9. New computer technique differentiates malignant and benign calcifications on digital mammograms
10. Prototype system developed by Wright State computer engineer allows blind to see
11. New computer-aided approach tailors drug dose to patient needs

Post Your Comments: