Numerical investigation of blood flow in a deformable coronary bifurcation and non-planar branch

• Published in: Bioimpacts 2014-01, Vol.4 (4), p.196-204
• Main Authors: Razavi, Seyed Esmail, Omidi, Amir Ali, Saghafi Zanjani, Massoud
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Atherosclerosis; Coronary artery disease; Coronary bifurcation; Elastic wall; Finite element analysis; Non-planar bifurcation; Numerical analysis; Numerical investigation; Pulsatile flow; Shear stress; Studies
• ISSN: 2228-5660; 2228-5652; 2228-5660
• DOI: 10.15171/bi.2014.017

Among cardiovascular diseases, arterials stenosis is recognized more commonly than the others. Hemodynamic characteristics of blood play a key role in the incidence of stenosis. This article numerically investigates the pulsatile blood flow in a coronary bifurcation with a non-planar branch. To create a more realistic analysis, the wall is assumed to be compliant. Furthermore, the flow is considered to be threedimensional, incompressible, and laminar. The effects of non-Newtonian blood, compliant walls and different angles of bifurcation on hemodynamic characteristics of flow were evaluated. Shear thinning of blood was simulated with the Carreau-Yasuda model. The findings of this study indicated that the compliant model of the wall, bifurcation's angle, and other physical properties of flow have an impact on hemodynamics of blood flow. Lower wall shear stress was observed in the compliant wall than that in the rigid wall. The outer wall of bifurcation in all models had lower wall shear stress. In bifurcations with larger angles, wall shear stress was higher in outer walls, and lower in inner walls.