Parametric Study of Mechanical Stress in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms (AAA) Erin A. Lennartz
Through the Research Alliance in Math and Science (RAMS) program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) I was hired as an intern for the 2006 summer season. Here I worked with Kara Kruse and Dr. Richard Ward researching hyper-elastic models for the stress response of the carotid artery wall and for AAA's.
Although my research began with the carotid artery, due to time constraints, I was unable to obtain the ultra-sound images necessary to produce the 3d models. For more information on the carotid artery and the affects of athersclerosis see my research link. Toward the end of the program my focus turned to AAA's and improving the models
already created by previous students.
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms (AAA) are a leading cause of death in the United States. Ruptured aneurysms have a 90% mortality rate. To date, the only method for determining when an aneurysm should be operated on is the aneurysm's maximum diameter.
This method, however, does not take into account the unique wall structure and physiological conditions of each patient. Aneurysms with very small diameters have ruptured due to the stress concentration within the wall.
The ultimate goal of our research is to create a non-invasive method for determing wall stress within an aneurysm and to more accurately predict the time and site of rupture, to better asses if surgery in necessary.
For more information about my project please see my RESEARCH link.
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