Investigating the hyperelasticity of porcine aorta under sub-failure loading

Studies on the mechanisms of traumatic aortic rupture (TAR) are limited while the behavior of blood vessels under physiological conditions has been investigated by many researchers. It is not clear whether arteries behave similarly under post-physiological pressures and deformations. In this study, samples of porcine aorta were assembled in an inflation setup capable of generating sub-failure pressures. Pressure inside the samples were increased in quasi-static and sinusoidal profiles and recorded with fiber optic pressure sensors. The deformation of aorta was captured with 2 high speed cameras in 3D. An exponential hyperelastic strain energy function was assumed and the martial parameters of the model that could explain the recorded loading-deformation behavior were derived. This model can be used in further studies on TAR and in related finite element analyses.