Effects of atherosclerotic plaque characteristics on haemodynamics during interventional robot diagnosis and treatment

Atherosclerosis alters blood flow dynamics, yet the interaction between blood flow and vascular deformation with interventional devices remains underexplored. This study investigates the impact of plaque morphology and interventional robot positioning on blood flow characteristics. A bidirectional fluid-structure interaction (FSI) model was applied to calculate flow characteristics under varying plaque heights and shoulder widths. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) and a magnetically controlled microrobot system measured pulsatile flow fields in an experimental setup. Results show that plaque geometry and robot position significantly affect blood flow streamlines, pressure distribution, vascular deformation, and wall shear stress. When the robot moved from a distance of 25 mm to 5 mm from the plaque, the above-mentioned haemodynamic parameters increased by 11.41%, 5.51%, 9.28%, and 147%, respectively. The close alignment between simulations and experimental data confirms the accuracy of the method. This research enhances understanding of haemodynamic changes during interventional procedures and informs future clinical applications.