The temporal changes of arterial blood flow dynamics

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular fluid dynamics
• Biomedical engineering
• Computational biology

Background:

• Blood flow in arteries exhibits complex dynamics influenced by the cardiac cycle.
• Understanding these dynamics is crucial for diagnosing and treating cardiovascular diseases like atherosclerosis.
• Arterial geometry and wave propagation significantly affect blood flow patterns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate blood flow behavior in a T-junction geometry using computer simulations.
• To correlate flow disturbances with different phases of the cardiac cycle.
• To explore the implications of flow variations on arterial health and surgical interventions.

Main Methods:

• Two-dimensional computer simulation of hydrodynamic models.
• Incorporation of experimentally determined arterial wave velocities.
• Analysis of turbulent blood flow behavior at critical points in the cardiac cycle.

Main Results:

• Turbulent blood flow was observed with varying degrees at different cardiac cycle points.
• Flow disturbances intensified during the transition from systolic acceleration to diastolic deceleration.
• Flow stabilized at diastolic endpoints due to reduced blood pressure and arterial wall remodeling.

Conclusions:

• Flow variations, including turbulence and oscillations, play a role in initiating and progressing atherosclerosis.
• These flow dynamics influence the filtration of atherogenic plasma proteins into the artery wall.
• Turbulent flow patterns can impact the success and compatibility of arterial grafts and surgical procedures.