Experimental and Computational Studies of a Formed Thrombus Within a Backward-Facing Step Geometry

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. This condition affects roughly 5.7 million Americans, with approximately 670,000 new cases and 300,000 deaths each year [1]. Heart failure, resulting from heart disease, is primarily treated with the implantation of a ventricular assist device (VAD) [2]. Along with VADs, arterial stents (primarily for treatment of atherosclerosis) and prosthetic heart valves (for defects in or other failures of the native heart valves) are other devices that are regularly used by clinicians to treat conditions within the circulatory system. While complications relating to cardiovascular devices have seen a decrease over the years, thrombosis and thromboembolization still remain obstacles. These phenomena are dependent upon the blood/material interface, surface topography, and fluid mechanics within the device [3].