3D Printed Biomodels for Flow Visualization in Stenotic Vessels: An Experimental and Numerical Study

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Science
• Biomedical Engineering
• Fluid Dynamics

Background:

• Atherosclerosis, a leading cause of global mortality, necessitates detailed hemodynamic research.
• While in vivo studies offer physiological relevance, in vitro experiments provide controlled validation for numerical models.
• Understanding blood flow in stenotic arteries is crucial for diagnosing and treating cardiovascular disease.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a comparative hemodynamic study of idealized stenotic and healthy coronary arteries.
• To validate computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations using in vitro experimental data.
• To assess the impact of 3D printing resolution on the accuracy of flow visualization.

Main Methods:

• Employed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to model blood flow.
• Utilized a high-speed video microscopy technique for in vitro flow studies.
• Fabricated biomodels of coronary arteries with varying resolutions (down to 50 μm) using stereolithography 3D printing.

Main Results:

• Biomodels printed at 50 μm resolution exhibited the lowest surface roughness (Ra = 1.8 μm), enabling superior flow visualization.
• Experimental flow patterns showed qualitative agreement with CFD numerical data.
• Recirculation regions were clearly observed in stenotic models with 60% diameter reduction.

Conclusions:

• High-resolution 3D printing is a viable method for creating accurate biomodels for hemodynamic studies.
• The combined numerical and in vitro approach effectively characterizes blood flow in idealized coronary artery stenosis.
• Findings highlight the presence and significance of flow recirculation in moderately to severely stenotic arteries.