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Abstract
This dissertation aimed to provide an accurate, mechanistic, material model for blood clots, thereby enabling the numerical study of blood clot pathologies and surgical intervention for pathological clots. The theoretical development started from a microscopic picture of fibrin fibers (which provide blood clots with structural stability and resistance to shape changes) in tension and bending. Subsequently, a microscopic model of fibrin networks was created to mimic their behavior in tension, compression, and shear. The study then incorporated a red blood cell model into the fibrin network model to investigate the deformation behaviors of blood clots. Using the insights from these models, a comprehensive continuum level hyperelastic potential for blood clots was developed. All of the models, including the fibrin fiber model, fibrin network model, red blood cell model, and the hyperelastic potential, were validated against relevant experimental data and showed high accuracy in reproducing their mechanical behaviors. Additionally, the microscopic approach used in the research allowed the stiffness constants of the fibrin fiber model and hyperelastic potential to be defined by measurable physical quantities.