Computer aided approximation of flow rate through systemic-pulmonary arterial shunts (SPAS)

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Physiology
• Medical Imaging Analysis
• Computational Fluid Dynamics

Background:

• Qualitative assessment of bronchial artery flow in conditions like spider angiomas (SPAS) limits understanding of pathological processes.
• Accurate quantification of flow rates is crucial for comprehending intensified shunt perfusion in chronic inflammation and characterizing SPAS-related cardiovascular risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a computational program for reproducible, quantitative assessment of blood flow rates in individual bronchial arteries using angiography data.
• To enable objective estimation of volumetric flow through SPAS and healthy bronchial vessels.

Main Methods:

• Modeling individual bronchial arteries based on angiographic data.
• Applying the Hagen-Poiseuille law for flow in measurable vessel segments and SPAS.
• Utilizing allometric scaling laws for healthy branch discharge calculations.
• Verifying simulation results with flow experiments in artificial vascular networks under pulsatile conditions.

Main Results:

• The computational model achieved <6% deviation from measured volumetric flow rates in artificial vessel networks.
• The model successfully applied to real angiographic images for flow estimation.
• Demonstrated potential for objective, experience-independent flow rate estimation from standard clinical angiography.

Conclusions:

• The developed computational method provides a valuable tool for objectively estimating blood flow in bronchial arteries and SPAS.
• This approach aids in the clinical assessment of conditions involving altered bronchial perfusion, without requiring additional measurements.
• Further refinement may improve accuracy in complex real-world scenarios.