Synthetic Artery Materials

[Glaser, Eric (sc)]

I am trying to locate materials with similar mechanical properties of
coronary arteries; if no information is available on the coronaries, then
any artery will suffice. The material also needs to have similar
friction properties to the luminal (i.e., intimal) surface of the wet
artery. I
must be able to produce the material in a tube geometry.
The mechanical properties of the synthetic material needs to be
somewhat close to the tissue but not an exact match. I am not concerned
about precisely matching moduli and time constants (linear or
non-linear); the synthetic material only needs to demonstrate similar
overall
mechanical behavior as the tissue. Anisotropy in the synthetic material is
not
critical. Matching the friction properties of vessels is most important
to me. An added bonus would be if the synthetic material were, to some
degree, transparent.

I will post a summary of replies.

Thanks in advance,

Erik Glaser