Measuring and modeling haemodynamics and vessel stiffness in arterial disease and endovascular treatment

This jointly funded, multi-disciplinary, collaborative, project between academia (Universities of Dundee and Edinburgh) and industry (Vascular Flow Technologies, Dundee) will focus on the need for improved prediction of key clinical arterial events such as plaque rupture, aneurysm rupture, fistula failure, and graft failure. The candidate’s time will be divided equally between UoD and VFT where they will focus on addressing the integration of 2 imaging-based methods for assessment of the mechanical environment in diseased arteries. These methods are ultrasound shear wave elastography (for measurement of stiffness distribution) and patient specific modelling (for estimation of the stress distribution). The aims of the project are to develop 3D shear-wave elastography techniques for clinical use in assessing arteries in peripheral vascular disease and arteriovenous fistulae, and to integrate 3D stiffness data from shear-wave elastography for improved estimation of stress data from patient specific modelling in dialysis fistulae and peripheral vascular disease.
The objectives of the project are: to develop a 3D shear wave elastography system based on an existing commercial system (Siemens S2000) and an optical tracking system (Polaris), suitable for scanning in arteries; to construct phantoms and to validate the 3D shear- wave data; to Integrate the 3D data on stiffness from shear-wave elastography with an existing workflow on patient specific modelling for dialysis fistulae in the upper limbs and peripheral vascular disease. Finally, to perform studies in patients to demonstrate feasibility.