| Summary: | Evaluating the nonlinear dynamics of human descending thoracic aortas is essential for building the next generation of vascular prostheses. This study characterizes the nonlinear dynamics, viscoelastic material properties, and fluid-structure interaction of 11 ex-vivo human descending thoracic aortas the full range of physiological heart rates. The aortic segments are harvested from heart-beating donors screened for transplants. A mock circulatory loop is developed to reproduce physiological pulsatile pressure and flow. The results show cyclic axisymmetric diameter changes, which are satisfactorily compared to in-vivo measurements at a resting pulse rate of 60 bpm, with an additional bending vibration. An increase of the dynamic stiffness (i.e., storage modulus) with age is also observed. This increase is accompanied by a strong reduction with age of the cyclic diameter change during the heart pulsation at 60 bpm and by a significant reduction of the loss factor (i.e., damping). Large dissipation is observed at higher pulse rates due to the combined effects of fluid-structure interaction and viscoelasticity of the aortic wall. This study presents data necessary for developing innovative grafts that better mimic the dynamics of the aorta.
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