One-dimensional steady inviscid flow through a stenotic collapsible tube.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Fluid Dynamics
• Computational Modeling

Background:

• Atherosclerosis, characterized by plaque buildup, can lead to arterial stenosis, narrowing blood vessels.
• Arterial collapse, a critical condition, can occur in compliant vessels under specific physiological conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and utilize a one-dimensional inviscid model for flow through a compliant tube with stenosis.
• To investigate conditions leading to arterial collapse in stenotic arteries.
• To analyze the impact of stenosis characteristics on flow dynamics and collapse.

Main Methods:

• A one-dimensional inviscid flow model was developed for a compliant tube with a stenosis.
• The coupled equations were solved numerically using a Runge-Kutta finite difference scheme.
• Simulations were performed for various physiological parameters, including pressure, flow rate, and stenosis properties.

Main Results:

• High-grade stenotic arteries can exhibit collapse under typical physiological pressures.
• Critical stenoses can lead to flow choking and subsequent supercritical flow with downstream collapse.
• Increased stenosis severity resulted in a linear reduction in flow rate and a shorter collapsed region.
• Stenosis length proportionally affected the length of the collapsed region.
• Increased stenosis stiffness amplified flow limitation and negative pressures.

Conclusions:

• The model provides quantitative insights into flow dynamics in stenotic arteries.
• Findings highlight the potential for arterial collapse in high-grade stenoses.
• The study elucidates the influence of stenosis geometry and material properties on flow and collapse.
• Results contribute to understanding the clinical implications of atherosclerotic arteries.