Kizilski, Shannen2022-06-082022-06-082021-03https://hdl.handle.net/11299/227915University of Minnesota Ph.D. dissertation. 2021. Major: Mechanical Engineering. Advisor: Victor Barocas. 1 computer file (PDF); 146 pages.The aorta is the largest artery in the body, responsible for delivering oxygenated blood from the heart to the vital organs. The elasticity of the aortic wall allows it to play a critical role as a capacitor for the arterial system, regulating blood pressure and providing steady blood flow during cardiac diastole. Loss of this capacitive function, either due to age-related aortic stiffening or due to placement of a rigid stent-graft for disease treatment, can lead to significantly increased risk of cardiovascular, and all-cause, morbidity and mortality. In this thesis, a novel double-walled aortic stent-graft (DWSG) design is introduced that aims to restore the capacitive function of the aorta through use of a compressible gas layer. This concept was evaluated through a series of computational and in vitro experimental models, each of which provided new insights into the various design considerations that affect device performance. Across all models, the DWSG led to reduction in one or more measures of blood pressure compared to a standard stent-graft, with increasing effect as the amount of contained gas was increased. In measurements of pulse wave velocity, which provide an estimate of arterial stiffness, the DWSG again demonstrated the ability to reduce values compared to a standard stent-graft. In models with a very stiff vessel wall, the DWSG exhibited pulse wave velocity measurements significantly lower than the unstented vessel. Design details of the DWSG were refined across the various studies, and finally an optimization study was conducted to identify potential configurations for the gas layer. In the final chapter, the potential impact of the DWSG is discussed and next steps are addressed.enaortic stiffnessarterial hemodynamicsendovascularmedical device designstent-graftThesis or Dissertation