A Framework to Assess Human Coronary Plaque Vulnerability Using Intravascular Ultrasound, On-Site Pressure, Angiography, and Anisotropic FSI Models

Atherosclerotic plaque rupture is believed to be associated with critical flow and stress/strain conditions. Image-based computational models have been developed to identify critical flow and stress/strain conditions in the plaque [1–3]. In vivo image-based coronary plaque modeling papers are relatively rare because clinical recognition of vulnerable coronary plaques has remained challenging [4]. In this paper, a framework adopting intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging with on-site pressure and flow measurements, biaxial mechanical testing and computational modeling is proposed to construct 3D coronary plaque for more accurate stress/strain predictions.