A new compressible hyperelastic model for the multi-axial deformation of blood clot occlusions in vessels

Mechanical thrombectomy can be significantly affected by the mechanical properties of the occluding thrombus. In this study, we provide the first characterisation of the volumetric behaviour of blood clots. We propose a new hyperelastic model for the volumetric and isochoric deformation of clot. We demonstrate that the proposed model provides significant improvements over established models in terms of accurate prediction of nonlinear stress–strain and volumetric behaviours of clots with low and high red blood cell compositions. We perform a rigorous investigation of the factors that govern clot occlusion of a tapered vessel. The motivation for such an analysis is twofold: (i) the role of clot composition on the in vivo occlusion location is an open clinical question that has significant implications for thrombectomy procedures; (ii) in vitro measurement of occlusion location in an engineered tapered tube can be used as a quick and simple methodology to assess the mechanical properties/compositions of clots. Simulations demonstrate that both isochoric and volumetric behaviours of clots are key determinants of clot lodgement location, in addition to clot-vessel friction. The proposed formulation is shown to provide accurate predictions of in vitro measurement of clot occlusion location in a silicone tapered vessel, in addition to accurately predicting the deformed shape of the clot.