A Systematic Review for the Design of In Vitro Flow Studies of the Carotid Artery Bifurcation.

A simplified three-step design process is proposed for better fitting and adequate match with the pertinent research question at hand and as guidance for less experienced flow study researchers. The three consecutive selection steps are: flow parameters, image modality, and model materials and designs. Model materials depend on the chosen imaging technique, whereas choice of flow parameters is independent from imaging technique and is therefore only determined by the goal of the study.