Kerckhofs, GreetArkens, SanderMathues Bilginer, LucieLucieMathues Bilginer2025-06-262025-06-262025-06-0120252025-06-02https://hdl.handle.net/2078.2/42956Vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques are a major contributor to acute coronary syndromes, yet current treatment strategies remain limited. Cryotherapy, delivered via a novel catheter-based device developed by CryoTherapeutics, is a promising strategy for stabilising vulnerable plaques. To evaluate the relevance of in vitro testing models, two complementary approaches were developed. First, temperature mapping was performed in agar-based hydrogels using thermocouples positioned at various radial distances from the catheter. Second, the thermal response of the device was compared across three materials: agar hydrogel, gellan gum hydrogel, and ex vivo porcine coronary arteries. Cooling dynamics were analysed to evaluate the extent to which synthetic phantoms replicate the thermal behaviour of biological tissues. The study reveals the influence of tissue composition on temperature distribution and highlights specific limitations of current models. These findings contribute to the optimisation of experimental models and the improvement of preclinical data interpretability in the development of cryotherapy-based treatments.text::thesis::master thesis