SIMULATION ANALYSIS OF BLOOD FLOW IN ARTERIES OF THE HUMAN ARM

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Cardiovascular Physiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Arteries in the upper limb are crucial for human circulation.
• The radial artery holds historical significance in traditional Chinese medicine.
• Understanding arm artery hemodynamics is vital for clinical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a 3D computational model of the human arm arteries.
• To simulate blood flow dynamics within these arteries.
• To compare the contribution of the ulnar and radial arteries to hand and wrist vasculature.

Main Methods:

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data was used to construct a 3D model of the left arm arteries.
• The model was imported into Ansys software for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation.
• Blood viscosity was modeled using the Carreau fluid model, with constant density and a viscous-laminar flow model.

Main Results:

• Velocity profiles, static pressure, and shear stress were analyzed in the brachial, interosseous, ulnar, radial, and palmar arch arteries.
• The brachial artery and arterial bifurcations exhibited high pressure and velocity.
• Simulation results were validated against existing literature.

Conclusions:

• The ulnar artery is a more dominant supplier of blood to the wrist and hand vasculature compared to the radial artery.
• The CFD model provides valuable insights into upper limb arterial hemodynamics.
• This research supports traditional observations regarding the radial artery's role.