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Blood velocity field numerical assessment using a GPL code in case of intravascular Doppler catheter affections:
1Alma Mater Studiorum-University of Bologna, Department of Agricultural Economics and Engineering, Italy. giulio.lorenzini@unibo.it
Insights
This study quantifies how intravascular Doppler catheters disturb coronary artery blood flow. Numerical simulations reveal insights into blood rheology, comparing Newtonian, Cassonian, and Power Law fluid models.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular fluid dynamics
- Biomedical engineering
- Computational fluid dynamics
Background:
- Intravascular Doppler (IVD) catheters are crucial for studying coronary arteries.
- Catheter presence can alter measured blood velocity fields.
- Quantifying this disturbance is essential for accurate hemodynamic analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To numerically investigate the disturbance caused by Doppler catheters in coronary arteries.
- To compare the effects of different blood rheological models (Newtonian, Cassonian, Power Law) on flow disturbance.
- To provide insights into the rheological characterization of blood flow in the presence of catheters.
Main Methods:
- Numerical simulations using the Finite Element code TOCHNOG.
- Modeling blood as Newtonian, Cassonian, and Power Law fluids.
- Analyzing the velocity field alterations due to catheter presence.
Main Results:
- The study quantifies the partial disturbance of the velocity field by the catheter.
- Distinct results were observed when comparing Newtonian, Cassonian, and Power Law fluid hypotheses.
- The simulations provide realistic insights into catheter-induced flow alterations.
Conclusions:
- The presence of intravascular Doppler catheters significantly affects coronary blood flow velocity measurements.
- Understanding these disturbances through rheological modeling is critical for accurate hemodynamic assessment.
- Numerical simulations offer valuable insights into blood flow characterization in complex scenarios.
Abstract:
In the use of intravascular Doppler catheters, one of the most common techniques to study the coronary arteries, the velocity field measured is partially affected by the presence of the catheter itself inside the blood vessel. It is therefore fundamental to quantify the nature of this disturbance. This paper treats a numerical investigation of the problem considering the hypothesis of blood as a Newtonian, Cassonian and Power Law fluid, comparing the results. The code used for numerical simulation is a General Public License Finite Element code denominated TOCHNOG. The results obtained, realistic within the terms explained in the text, provide an insight in the rheological characterisation of blood flow.
