Fig-based phantom materials for benchtop evaluation of endovascular devices in chronic post-thrombotic venous obstruction.

This study investigates a fig-based phantom material for benchtop evaluation of endovascular devices intended for treatment of chronic post-thrombotic venous obstruction, a common sequela of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). The proposed phantom is designed to reproduce selected functional mechanical characteristics relevant to device interaction with fibrotic, organized post-thrombotic lesions, is fabricated using controlled aging durations and temperatures to tune its mechanical properties. Phantom formulations were evaluated by combining clinician haptic feedback (device-mediated resistance and force transmission) assessment with uniaxial compression testing. Haptic feedback evaluation was performed by experienced interventional clinicians using a 1-10 similarity scale to assess correspondence with clinical recanalization procedures. Compression testing demonstrated formulation-dependent differences in mechanical behavior, while clinician evaluations indicated comparable levels of perceived procedural realism across the tested formulations. Exploratory correlation analyses revealed positive associations between compressive resistance and clinician similarity scores, although these relationships did not reach statistical significance. The fig-based phantoms exhibited a reproducible nonlinear compression response with strain-dependent stiffening, resembling the mechanical behavior of organized post-thrombotic tissue. Together, these results support the feasibility of using fig-based materials as controlled and reproducible surrogate lesions for functional benchtop testing. Such a platform could complement higher-fidelity biological models by enabling accessible and standardized early-stage evaluation of endovascular devices for chronic venous recanalization.