Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 24, 2025
Optical Coherence Tomography Based Biomechanical Fluid-Structure Interaction Analysis of Coronary Atherosclerosis Progression
Published on: January 15, 2022
Visualization of multiphase pulsatile blood over single phase blood flow in a patient specific stenosed left coronary
Abdulgaphur Athani1, N N N Ghazali1, Irfan Anjum Badruddin2
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Insights
Multiphase blood flow analysis in coronary arteries reveals increased velocity and wall shear stress at stenosed regions. This computational approach enhances diagnosis of blocked arteries by accurately modeling blood elements like red blood cells (RBCs) and plasma.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Computational Fluid Dynamics
Background:
- Coronary artery disease is a leading cause of global mortality.
- Understanding blood flow dynamics in stenosed arteries is critical for diagnosis and treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze multiphase pulsatile blood flow in a left coronary artery with stenosis.
- To compare single-phase and multiphase blood flow models for improved accuracy.
Main Methods:
- Reconstructed a 3D left coronary artery model from 2D CT scan images.
- Analyzed Red Blood Cell (RBC) and hemodynamic parameters under single and multiphase flow conditions.
Main Results:
- Maximum velocities of 1.017 m/s (systolic) and 1.339 m/s (diastolic) observed in the stenosed region.
- Increased Wall Shear Stress (WSS) and Oscillatory Shear Index (OSI) noted in stenosed and downstream areas.
- Red blood cell velocity increased across the stenosis.
Conclusions:
- Computational multiphase blood flow analysis enhances understanding of complex flow dynamics.
- This method improves the accuracy of diagnosing stenosed coronary arteries compared to single-phase models.
Background:
Coronary arteries disease has been reported as one of the principal roots of deaths worldwide.
Objective:
The aim of this study is to analyze the multiphase pulsatile blood flow in the left coronary artery tree with stenosis.
Methods:
The 3D left coronary artery model was reconstructed using 2D computerized tomography (CT) scan images. The Red Blood Cell (RBC) and varying hemodynamic parameters for single and multiphase blood flow conditions were analyzed.
Results:
Results asserted that the multiphase blood flow modeling has a maximum velocity of 1.017 m/s and1.339 m/s at the stenosed region during the systolic and diastolic phases respectively. The increase in Wall Shear Stress (WSS) observed at the stenosed region during the diastole phase as compared during the systolic phase. It was also observed that the highest Oscillatory Shear Index (OSI) regions are found in the downstream area of stenosis and across the bifurcations. The increase in RBCs velocity from 0.45 m/s to 0.6 m/s across the stenosis was also noticed.
Conclusion:
The computational multiphase blood flow analysis improves the understanding and accuracy of the complex flow conditions of blood elements (RBC and Plasma) and provides the progression of the disease development in the coronary arteries. This study helps to enhance the diagnosis of the blocked (stenosed) arteries more precisely compared to the single-phase blood flow modeling.
