During my time at the University of Pittsburgh, I worked as both an undergraduate and graduate researcher in the Vascular Bioengineering Laboratory under Dr. David Vorp. I started by designing a perfusion test bench to simulate the flow through an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) to test a device for creating fenestrations in stent grafts in situ. I modeled an AAA in SolidWorks and 3D printed flexible models. I eventually worked to make a mold of the AAA to pour silicone into to form a model that mechanically represented human aortic tissue. I attached to flexible models to a perfusion system with tubing and a pump so the device could be tested without a living subject.

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I created another test bench to show feasibility of using infrared to detect visceral arteries in the aorta so the device could puncture a hole to allow blood flow through the stent graft. I designed fixtures to hold fiber optic cables and infrared sensors and measured the amount of light that was able to penetrate the graft. 

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The project continued after I graduated, but I remained a consultant and wrote sections of a research publication that will be published in ASAIO Journal at the end of 2024.

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Below are images from the design and development of the test benches from this project.