Let the Blood Flow: Biomedical Artery Unclogging Experiment
In this NGSS-aligned activity, high school students work as biomedical engineers to find liquid solutions that can clear away polyvinyl acetate polymer “blood clots” in model arteries made of clear, flexible tubing. Teams create samples of the “blood clot” polymer to discover the concentration of the model clot and then test a variety of liquids to determine which most effectively breaks it down. Students learn the importance of the testing phase in the engineering design process, because they are only given one chance to present the team’s solution and apply it to the model blood clot.
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Tags: arteries, Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, circulatory system, Class Activities, Grades 9-12, heart, Lesson Plan, NGSS, stent, TeachEngineeirng, UCLA SEEK GK-12 program, valves
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