Rotational atherectomy (RA) utilizes a metal bonded diamond abrasive grinding wheel to remove the calcified atherosclerotic plaque inside arteries, restore blood flow, and treat cardiovascular diseases. &nbsp;RA operational guidelines have been clinically investigated to improve outcomes and reduce complication rates but are still in lack of consensus.&nbsp; Particularly, the effect of the grinding wheel rotational speed on plaque material removal rate (MRR) is unclear. &nbsp;This study experimentally investigates the RA MRR over a range of wheel rotational speeds based on a vascular simulator and a calcified plaque surrogate. &nbsp;The MRR, presented as the luminal area gain, with the increase of number of grinding passes was measured at the rotational speed of 120,000, 150,000, and 180,000 rpm.&nbsp; The luminal area was characterized via microscopy and image processing.&nbsp; The ground surface morphology and surface roughness at different rotational speeds were investigated. &nbsp;The results showed that a higher rotational speed led to a higher MRR and a smoother ground surface. &nbsp;The relationship was analyzed based on the grinding force and the wheel’s orbital speed. Higher rotational speed and smaller lumen size corresponded to a higher grinding force and orbital speed, and hence, a higher MRR. This observation is significant for RA clinical guideline improvement.

Experimental Investigation of the Material Removal Rate in Grinding of Calcified Plaque by Rotational Atherectomy

Paper Proceedings: https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/MSEC/MSEC2021/volume/85062

2021 International Manufacturing Science and Engineering Conference (MSEC2021)

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