Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Thesis

Publisher

Santa Clara : Santa Clara University, 2026

Department

Bioengineering

First Advisor

Prashanth Asuri

Abstract

Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) affects up to almost one million individuals in the United States annually and can lead to life-threatening complications, such as a pulmonary embolism. DVT occurs when a thrombus composed of platelets and fibrin forms within deep veins, obstructing blood flow. Current treatments include anticoagulants, thrombolytics, inferior vena cava filters, and balloon catheter procedures. However, the development and testing of these medical devices heavily rely on animal blood models due to physiological similarities in coagulation, raising ethical concerns and limitations related to cost, scalability, and sustainability. This project proposes a synthetic, in vitro alternative using agarose and dextran based hydrogels to replicate the mechanical and viscoelastic properties of blood clots. By varying polymer concentrations and validating properties through rheological testing, we aim to create reproducible, stable clot models for balloon catheter evaluation. This approach reduces animal dependence while promoting ethical, scalable, and sustainable practices in biomedical device testing.

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