Magnetically induced electric fields and currents in the circulatory system

Blood flow in an applied magnetic field gives rise to induced voltages in the aorta and other major arteries of the central circulatory system that can be observed as superimposed electrical signals in the electrocardiogram (ECG). The largest magnetically induced voltage occurs during pulsatile blood flow into the aorta, and results in an increased signal at the location of the T-wave in the ECG. Studies involving the measurement of blood pressure, blood flow rate, heart sounds, and cardiac valve displacements have been conducted with monkeys and dogs exposed to static fields up to 1.5 tesla (T) under conditions producing maximum induced voltages in the aorta. Results of these studies gave no indication of alterations in cardiac functions or hemodynamic parameters. Cardiac activity monitored by ECG biotelemetry during continuous exposure of rats to a 1.5-T field for 10 days gave no evidence for any significant changes relative to the 10 days prior to and following exposure. Theoretical modeling of magnetic field interactions with blood flow has included a complete solution of the equation describing the flow of an electrically conductive fluid in the presence of a magnetic field (the Navier–Stokes equation) using the finite element technique. Magnetically induced voltages and current densities as a function of the applied magnetic field strength have been calculated for the aorta and surrounding tissues structures, including the sinoatrial node. Induced current densities in the region of the sinoatrial node are predicted to be >100 mA/m² at field levels >5 T in an adult human under conditions of maximum electrodynamic coupling with aortic blood flow. Magnetohydrodynamic interactions are predicted to reduce the volume flow rate of blood in the human aorta by a maximum of 1.3%, 4.9%, and 10.4% at field levels of 5, 10, and 15 T, respectively.     

Blood flow patterns in the proximal human coronary arteries: relationship to atherosclerotic plaque occurrence

Atherosclerotic plaques in human coronary arteries are focal manifestations of systemic disease, and biomechanical factors have been hypothesized to contribute to plaque genesis and localization. We developed a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of the ascending aorta and proximal sections of the right and left coronary arteries of a normal human subject using computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and determined the pulsatile flow field. Results demonstrate that flow patterns in the ascending aorta contribute to a pro-atherosclerotic flow environment, specifically through localization of low and oscillatory wall shear stress in the neighborhood of coronary orifices. Furthermore, these patterns differ in their spatial distribution between right and left coronary arteries. Entrance effects of aortic flow diminish within two vessel diameters. We examined relationships between spatial distributions of wall shear stress and reports of plaque occurrence in the literature. Results indicate low wall shear stress is co-located with increased incidence of lesions, and higher wall shear stresses are associated with lesion-resistant areas. This investigation does not consider plaque progression or advanced lesions, inasmuch as the CFD model was developed from a normal individual and the clinical data used for comparisons were obtained from autopsy specimens of subjects who died from non-cardiovascular causes. The data reported are consistent with the hypothesis that low wall shear stress is associated with the localization of atherosclerotic lesions, and the results demonstrate the importance of aortic flow on flow patterns in the proximal segments of the coronary arteries.     

Numerical simulation of fluid–structure interaction in bypassed DeBakey III aortic dissection

It was found that bypass graft alone could achieve great effects in treating aortic dissection. In order to investigate the mechanical mechanism and the haemodynamic validity of the bypassing treatment for DeBakey III aortic dissection, patient-specific models of DeBakey III aortic dissection treated with different bypassing strategies were constructed. One of the bypassing strategies is bypassing between ascending aorta and abdominal aorta, and the other is bypassing between left subclavian artery and abdominal aorta. Numerical simulations under physiological flow conditions based on fluid–structure interaction were performed using finite element method. The results show that blood flow velocity, pressure and vessel wall displacement of false lumen are all reduced after bypassing. This phenomenon indicates that bypassing is an effective surgery for the treatment of DeBakey III aortic dissection. The effectiveness to cure through lumen is better when bypassing between left subclavian artery and abdominal aorta, while the effectiveness to cure blind lumen is better when bypassing between ascending aorta and abdominal aorta.     

In vitro hemodynamic investigation of the embryonic aortic arch at late gestation

This study focuses on the dynamic flow through the fetal aortic arch driven by the concurrent action of right and left ventricles. We created a parametric pulsatile computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of the fetal aortic junction with physiologic vessel geometries. To gain a better biophysical understanding, an in vitro experimental fetal flow loop for flow visualization was constructed for identical CFD conditions. CFD and in vitro experimental results were comparable. Swirling flow during the acceleration phase of the cardiac cycle and unidirectional flow following mid-deceleration phase were observed in pulmonary arteries (PA), head-neck vessels, and descending aorta. Right-to-left (oxygenated) blood flowed through the ductus arteriosus (DA) posterior relative to the antegrade left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) stream and resembled jet flow. LVOT and right ventricular outflow tract flow mixing had not completed until approximately 3.5 descending aorta diameters downstream of the DA insertion into the aortic arch. Normal arch model flow patterns were then compared to flow patterns of four common congenital heart malformations that include aortic arch anomalies. Weak oscillatory reversing flow through the DA junction was observed only for the Tetralogy of Fallot configuration. PA and hypoplastic left heart syndrome configurations demonstrated complex, abnormal flow patterns in the PAs and head-neck vessels. Aortic coarctation resulted in large-scale recirculating flow in the aortic arch proximal to the DA. Intravascular flow patterns spatially correlated with abnormal vascular structures consistent with the paradigm that abnormal intravascular flow patterns associated with congenital heart disease influence vascular growth and function.     

Blood flow patterns and pressure loss in the ascending aorta: A comparative study on physiological and aneurysmal conditions

An aortic aneurysm is defined as a balloon-shaped bulging of all three histologic components of the aortic vessel walls (intima, media and adventitia). This dilation results from vessel weakening owing to remodeling, i.e. due to cystic degeneration of the Tunica media (Marfan), progression of atherosclerosis or presence of a bicuspid aortic valve. The growth rate of the aortic diameter varies from patient to patient and may progress until the aneurysm ultimately ruptures. The role of hemodynamics, i.e. blood flow patterns, and shear stresses that are supposed to intensify during aneurysm growth are not yet fully understood, but thought to play a key role in the enlargement process. The aim of this study is to characterize the aortic blood flow in a silicone model of a pathological aorta with ascending aneurysm, to analyze the differences in the blood flow pattern compared to a healthy aortic model, and to single out possible blood flow characteristics measurable using phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) that could serve as indicators for aneurysm severity. MRI simulations were performed under physiological, pulsatile flow conditions using data obtained from optical three dimensional particle tracking measurements. In comparison to the healthy geometry, elevated turbulence intensity and pressure loss are measured in the diseased aorta, which we propose as a complimentary indicator for assessing the aneurysmal severity. Our results shed a light on the interplay between the blood flow dynamics and their contribution to the pathophysiology and possible role for future risk assessment of ascending aortic aneurysms.     

Is location a significant parameter in the layer dependent dissection properties of the aorta?

Proper characterisation of biological tissue is key to understanding the effect of the biomechanical environment in the physiology and pathology of the cardiovascular system. Aortic dissection in particular is a prevalent and sometimes fatal disease that still lacks a complete comprehension of its progression. Its development and outcome, however, depend on the location in the vessel. Dissection properties of arteries are frequently studied via delamination tests, such as the T-peel test and the mixed-mode peel test. So far, a study that performs both tests throughout different locations of the aorta, as well as dissecting several interfaces, is missing. This makes it difficult to extract conclusions in terms of vessel heterogeneity, as a standardised experimental procedure cannot be assured for different studies in literature. Therefore, both dissection tests have been here performed on healthy porcine aortas, dissecting three interfaces of the vessels, i.e., the intima-media, the media-adventitia and the media within itself, considering different locations of the aorta, the ascending thoracic aorta (ATA), the descending thoracic aorta and the infrarenal abdominal aorta (IAA). Significant differences were found for both, layers and location. In particular, dissection forces in the ATA were the highest and the separation of the intima-media interface required significantly the lowest force. Moreover, dissection in the longitudinal direction of the vessel generally required more force than in the circumferential one. These results emphasise the need to characterise aortic tissue considering the specific location and dissected layer of the vessel.

     

Regional functional heterogeneity of aortic smooth muscle cells in rats

The aorta is a magistral artery, which has been traditionally looked upon as a vessel whose properties are invariable throughout its length. However, in the most recent decade, there have been accumulated data that provide evidence that different aorta sections arise from different embryonic origins and that the population of smooth muscle cells making up the vessel’s wall is, consequently, heterogenic. Tracing the fate of smooth muscle cells, the basic components of the vessel, with the aid of genetic marking methods revealed that the cells’ response to various factors is largely determined by the embryonic origin of a certain cell population. However, functional differences between the smooth muscle cells making up different aorta sections remain poorly understood. The aim of the current work was to compare the functional characteristics of the populations of aortic wall smooth muscle cells obtained from the aorta sections differing by their embryonic origin. Towards this end, we obtained smooth muscle cell cultures from the three aorta sections of linear rats, namely, the neural crest derived ascending thoracic aorta, the somites derived descending thoracic aorta, and splanchnic mesoderm derived abdominal aorta. Using immunocytochemistry and Western blotting, the cells from the different regions of aorta were compared on the basis of smooth muscle actin, vimentin, and SM22 content in them. Cell proliferation rate was estimated using the growth curves method. We have demonstrated that the three smooth muscle cell populations arising from different embryonic origins differ in their morphological characteristics as well as by smooth muscle actin and SM22 content. We have shown that smooth muscle cells from the ascending aorta proliferate more actively than the corresponding cells from the descending thoracic aorta. Thus, the functional properties of the populations of rat aortic smooth muscle cells are different and depend on the embryonic origin of the aorta section from which they were obtained.     

Unsteady and three-dimensional simulation of blood flow in the human aortic arch

A three-dimensional and pulsatile blood flow in a human aortic arch and its three major branches has been studied numerically for a peak Reynolds number of 2500 and a frequency (or Womersley) parameter of 10. The simulation geometry was derived from the three-dimensional reconstruction of a series of two-dimensional slices obtained in vivo using CAT scan imaging on a human aorta. The numerical simulations were obtained using a projection method, and a finite-volume formulation of the Navier-Stokes equations was used on a system of overset grids. Our results demonstrate that the primary flow velocity is skewed towards the inner aortic wall in the ascending aorta, but this skewness shifts to the outer wall in the descending thoracic aorta. Within the arch branches, the flow velocities were skewed to the distal walls with flow reversal along the proximal walls. Extensive secondary flow motion was observed in the aorta, and the structure of these secondary flows was influenced considerably by the presence of the branches. Within the aorta, wall shear stresses were highly dynamic, but were generally high along the outer wall in the vicinity of the branches and low along the inner wall, particularly in the descending thoracic aorta. Within the branches, the shear stresses were considerably higher along the distal walls than along the proximal walls. Wall pressure was low along the inner aortic wall and high around the branches and along the outer wall in the ascending thoracic aorta. Comparison of our numerical results with the localization of early atherosclerotic lesions broadly suggests preferential development of these lesions in regions of extrema (either maxima or minima) in wall shear stress and pressure.     

Earlier accumulation of calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium in the coronary artery in comparison with the ascending aorta, aortic valve, and mitral valve

To explore reasons for a high accumulation of Ca and P occurring in the coronary artery of Thai with aging, the authors investigated age-related changes of elements in the coronary artery, ascending aorta near the heart, and cardiac valves in single individuals, and the relationships in the elements between the coronary artery and either the ascending aorta or cardiac valves. After an ordinary dissection by medical students at Chiang Mai University was finished, the anterior descending arteries of the left coronary artery, ascending aortas, mitral valves, and aortic valves were resected from the subjects. The subjects consisted of 17 men and 9 women, ranging in age from 46 to 76 yr. The element content was analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry. The average content of Ca and P was the highest in the coronary artery and decreased in the order aortic valve, ascending aorta, and mitral valve. The Ca, P, and Mg content increased in the coronary artery in the fifties and in the ascending aorta, aortic valve, and mitral valve in the sixties. It should be noted that the accumulation of Ca, P, and Mg occurred earlier in the coronary artery than in the ascending aorta, aortic valve, and mitral valve. It was found that with respect to the Ca, P, Mg, and Na contents, the coronary artery correlated well with both the aortic valve and ascending aorta, especially with the aortic valve, but it did not correlate with the mitral valves. This finding suggests that the accumulation of Ca, P, Mg, and Na occurs in the coronary artery together with the aortic valve and ascending aorta, but not together with the mitral valve. Because regarding the accumulation of Ca, P, and Mg, the ascending aorta and aortic valve are preceded by the coronary artery, it is unlikely that the accumulation of Ca, P, and Mg spreads from the ascending aorta or aortic valve to the coronary artery.     

A study on the non-linear flow of blood through arteries

The pulsatile flow of blood through arteries is investigated in this paper by treating the blood vessel as a thin-walled anisotropic, non-linearly viscoelastic, incompressible circular cylindrical shell; nonlinearities of the flow of blood are also paid due consideration. The displacement components of the vessel wall are obtained from the equations of equilibrium which have been linearized by employing the principle of superimposition of a small deformation on a state of known finite deformation. The influence of the wall deformation on the flow properties of blood, has been accounted for by considering suitably formulated continuity conditions. A finitedifference scheme is employed for solving the flow equations together with the boundary and initial conditions by using the locally measured values of pressure and pressure gradient. Numerical results obtained for the velocity profile of blood flowing in a canine middle descending thoracic aorta have been presented through figures.     

Some flow visualization and laser-Doppler-velocity measurements in a true-to-scale elastic model of a human aortic arch--a new model technique.

Flow studies were done in an elastic true-to-scale silicone rubber model of an aortic arch to study further hemodynamic influences on atherosclerosis. The model was prepared from a cast of a young woman. A revised model technique was used. The model had a compliance similar to that of the human aortic arch. Velocity measurements were done in the model with a two component laser-Doppler-anemometer in steady and pulsatile flow using a calcium chloride solution with a viscosity of eta = 3.18 mPas and density of rho = 1.28 kg/m3 at 20 degrees C. The time average Reynolds numbers over a whole cycle in the ascending aorta was Re = 1350. The Womersley parameter for pulsatile flow was a = 20. The pulse wave velocity in the ascending aorta was about c = 5.4 m/sec. The secondary flow behavior was discussed for steady and pulsatile flow. Reverse flows were found, especially along the inner radius of the aortic arch in the descending aorta in steady and pulsatile flow and also in small areas of the ascending aorta and at the branches of the aortic arch. The formation of atherosclerotic plaques at preferred local flow regions is discussed.     

Computational analysis of blood flow in an integrated model of the left ventricle and the aorta

To study the effects of intraventricular flow dynamics on the aortic flow, we created an integrated model of the left ventricle and aorta and conducted a computer simulation of diastolic and systolic blood flow within this model. The results demonstrated that the velocity profile at the aortic annulus changed dynamically, and was influenced by the intraventricular flow dynamics. The profile was almost flat in early systole but became nonuniform as systole progressed, and was skewed toward the posterior side in midsystole and toward the anterior side in later systole. At a distance from the aortic annulus, a different velocity profile was induced by the twisting and torsion of the aorta. In the ascending aorta, the fastest flow was initially located in the posteromedial sector, and it moved to the posterior section along the circumference as systole progressed. The nonuniformity of the aortic inflow gave rise to a complex wall shear stress (WSS) distribution in the aorta. A comparison of the WSS distribution obtained in this integrated analysis with that obtained in flow calculations using an isolated aorta model with Poiseuille and flat inlet conditions showed that intraventricular flow affected the WSS distribution in the ascending aorta. These results address the importance of an integrated analysis of flow in the left ventricle and aorta.     

Three-Dimensional Computational Modeling of an Extra-Descending Aortic Assist Device Using Fluid-Structure Interaction

BackgroundThe incidence of heart failure is anticipated to rise by 2030, resulting in more than 8 million adults with this condition in US. Despite the advancement in pharmacological and surgical treatments, some patients progress to severe forms of cardiac dysfunction requiring cardiac transplantation as a last-resort treatment. Cardiac assist devices play an essential role in the recovery of normal cardiac performance through reversible remodeling or in assisting the weak organ to prolong survival rate. However, these devices need to be monitored carefully, as prolonged use may lead to physiological maladaptation and further cardiac complications. The optimization of such devices has done through the development and use of numerical simulations that allow the analysis of in-vivo hemodynamic patterns of blood flow. This study aims to investigate the performance of a model of extra-aortic assist device surrounding the descending aorta through three-dimensional patient-specific modeling.MethodsA three-dimensional model of the aorta was constructed from patient-specific cardiac CT images of a 60-year-old male diagnosed with left ventricular failure at the Tehran Heart Center (THC). Numerical simulation was conducted for two complete cardiac cycles using fluid-structure interaction (FSI) analysis under the assumption that the balloon and the aortic vessel behave as linear elastic materials, and that blood is a Newtonian and incompressible fluid.ResultsThe numerical simulation demonstrated a high correlation between the FSI analysis and clinical data of the patient-specific anatomical and physiological conditions. Blood velocity, pressure, deformation, and strain contours were simulated and analyzed through three-dimensional modeling. Compared to the unassisted aorta, the device provided an increase in blood flow displacement of an additional 15 ml of blood in the descending aorta, brachiocephalic, carotid, and subclavian arteries. The maximum von Mises stress distribution across the aortic vessel was higher than the stress imposed on the system in the unassisted heart, with values of 3.3 MPa and 0.28 MPa, respectively. Numerical investigation of structural responses revealed that no remarkable force was exerted on the aortic valve by the device at the descending aorta.ConclusionWe present the numerical investigation of a counterpulsation device around the descending aorta that has not previously been tested on human or animal models. While this extra-aortic balloon pump (EABP) did not show a significant improvement in coronary perfusion, there is room for improvement in further studies to optimize the geometry of the balloon. Additional investigations are required to determine the efficacy of this device and its safety before in-vivo experimental studies are pursued. This simulation has clinical relevance when choosing an appropriate cardiac assist device to address patient-specific physiological and pathological conditions.     

Systolic fluid–structure interaction model of the congenitally bicuspid aortic valve: assessment of modelling requirements

A transient fluid–structure interaction (FSI) model of a congenitally bicuspid aortic valve has been developed which allows simultaneous calculation of fluid flow and structural deformation. The valve is modelled during the systolic phase (the stage when blood pressure is elevated within the heart to pump blood to the body). The geometry was simplified to represent the bicuspid aortic valve in two dimensions. A congenital bicuspid valve is compared within the aortic root only and within the aortic arch. Symmetric and asymmetric cusps were simulated, along with differences in mechanical properties. A moving arbitrary Lagrange–Euler mesh was used to allow FSI. The FSI model requires blood flow to induce valve opening and induced strains in the region of 10%. It was determined that bicuspid aortic valve simulations required the inclusion of the ascending aorta and aortic arch. The flow patterns developed were sensitive to cusp asymmetry and differences in mechanical properties. Stiffening of the valve amplified peak velocities, and recirculation which developed in the ascending aorta. Model predictions demonstrate the need to take into account the category, including any existing cusp asymmetry, of a congenital bicuspid aortic valve when simulating its fluid flow and mechanics.     

Wave intensity in the ascending aorta: effects of arterial occlusion

We examine the effects of arterial occlusion on the pressure, velocity and the reflected waves in the ascending aorta using wave intensity analysis. In 11 anaesthetised, open-chested dogs, snares were used to produce total arterial occlusion at 4 sites: the upper descending aorta at the level of the aortic valve (thoracic); the lower thoracic aorta at the level of the diaphragm (diaphragm); the abdominal aorta between the renal arteries (abdominal) and the left iliac artery, 2 cm downstream from the aorta iliac bifurcation (iliac). Pressure and flow in the ascending aorta were measured, and data were collected before and during the occlusion. During thoracic and diaphragm occlusions a significant increase in mean aortic pressure (46% and 23%) and in wave speed (25% and 10%) was observed, while mean flow rate decreased significantly (23% and 17%). Also, the reflected compression wave arrived significantly earlier (45% and 15%) and its peak intensity was significantly greater (257% and 125%), all compared with control. Aortic occlusion distal to the renal arteries, however, caused an indiscernible change in the pressure and velocity waveforms, and in the intensities and timing of the waves in the forward and backward directions. The measured pressure and velocity waveforms are the result of the interaction between the heart and the arterial system. The separated pressure, velocity and wave intensity are required to provide information about arterial hemodynamic such as the timing and magnitude of the forward and backward waves. The net wave intensity is simpler to calculate but provides information only about the predominant direction of the waves and can be misleading when forward and backward waves of comparable magnitudes are present simultaneously.     

Cardiovascular alterations in Macaca monkeys exposed to stationary magnetic fields: Experimental observations and theoretical analysis

Simultaneous measurements were made of the electrocardiogram (ECG) and the intraarterial blood pressure of adult male Macaca monkeys during acute exposures to homogeneous stationary magnetic fields ranging in strength up to 1.5 tesla. An instantaneous, field strength-dependent increase in the ECG signal amplitude at the locus of the T wave was observed in fields greater than 0.1 tesla. The temporal sequence of this signal in the ECG record and its reversibility following termination of the magnetic field exposure are consistent with an earlier suggestion that it arises from a magnetically induced aortic blood flow potential superimposed on the native T-wave signal. No measurable alterations in blood pressure resulted from exposure to fields up to 1.5 tesla. This experimental finding is in agreement with theoretical calculations of the magnetohydrodynamic effect on blood flow in the major arteries of the cardiovascular system.     

Altered tissue behavior of a non-aneurysmal descending thoracic aorta in the mouse model of Marfan syndrome

Aortic aneurysm is predominantly found in the ascending aorta in patients with Marfan syndrome (MFS). However, descending aortic disease has emerged as a problem since people are living longer because of improved medical and surgical management of the ascending aorta. Diagnostic procedures before disease onset and the mechanisms involved in the transition of normal aortic tissue to aneurysm remain unclear. We determined signs of descending aortic disease before disease onset in mice with a mutation in the fibrillin 1 gene (Fbn1(+/C1039G)), a validated mouse model of disease susceptibility and progression of aortic aneurysm of MFS. We analyzed a tubular unfixed non-aneurysmal descending thoracic aorta from 8-month-old wild-type and Fbn1(+/C1039G) mice by a tubular biaxial tester that works in conjunction with a two-photon nonlinear microscope. Fbn1(+/C1039G) mouse aorta was more compliant in the circumferential direction. Two-photon imaging showed defective organization of adventitial collagen fibers in the pressurized aortas of Fbn1(+/C1039G) mice. Moreover, disruption in the elastic lamina was noted in the absence of aneurysms in pressurized aortas but not unpressurized aortas of Fbn1(+/C1039G) mice. At the molecular level, this altered tissue behavior in non-aneurysmal descending aortas of Fbn1(+/C1039G) mice was accompanied by an increasing trend of canonical but not noncanonical, transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) signaling. Finally, assays of in vitro collagen lattice formation in mouse wild-type and TGFβ1-deficient embryonic fibroblasts indicate that TGFβ1 can regulate collagen organization. The ability to reveal the presence of altered biomechanics and microstructure coupled with subtle changes in TGFβ signaling provides a novel surrogate measure of tissue susceptibility to aneurysm before disease onset.     

Toward translating near-infrared spectroscopy oxygen saturation data for the non-invasive prediction of spatial and temporal hemodynamics during exercise

Image-based computational fluid dynamics (CFD) studies conducted at rest have shown that atherosclerotic plaque in the thoracic aorta (TA) correlates with adverse wall shear stress (WSS), but there is a paucity of such data under elevated flow conditions. We developed a pedaling exercise protocol to obtain phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging (PC-MRI) blood flow measurements in the TA and brachiocephalic arteries during three-tiered supine pedaling at 130, 150, and 170 % of resting heart rate (HR), and relate these measurements to non-invasive tissue oxygen saturation \((\hbox {StO}_{2})\) acquired by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) while conducting the same protocol. Local quantification of WSS indices by CFD revealed low time-averaged WSS on the outer curvature of the ascending aorta and the inner curvature of the descending aorta (dAo) that progressively increased with exercise, but that remained low on the anterior surface of brachiocephalic arteries. High oscillatory WSS observed on the inner curvature of the aorta persisted during exercise as well. Results suggest locally continuous exposure to potentially deleterious indices of WSS despite benefits of exercise. Linear relationships between flow distributions and tissue oxygen extraction calculated from \(\hbox {StO}_{2}\) were found between the left common carotid versus cerebral tissue \((r^{2}=0.96)\) and the dAo versus leg tissue \((r^{2}=0.87)\). A resulting six-step procedure is presented to use NIRS data as a surrogate for exercise PC-MRI when setting boundary conditions for future CFD studies of the TA under simulated exercise conditions. Relationships and ensemble-averaged PC-MRI inflow waveforms are provided in an online repository for this purpose.     

Steady flow visualization in a rigid canine aortic cast

Steady flow studies were conducted in a transparent canine aortic cast. The cast segment stretched from the aortic valve to beyond the renal arteries and included all major branches. Flow was visualized by analysis of dye streaklines. Flow rates for basal and exercising cardiovascular states were simulated. The Reynolds numbers in the ascending aorta for basal and exercising conditions were 900 and 1587 respectively. Aortic core flow was laminar in basal simulations. Disturbed flow commenced in the upper descending aorta with exercising flow rates. Separation zones existed along the inner curvature of the aortic arch and the proximal walls of the brachiocephalic, left subclavian, and coeliac arteries. Such zones may exist over a portion of the cardiac cycle. If either renal artery was occluded, then a vortex formed. This vortex is associated with high shear regions which correlate well with sites where sudanophilic lesions have been reported in cholesterol-fed nephrectomized rabbits.     

Systems engineering analysis of aortic root blood pressure

This paper describes the aortic blood pressure as a function of aortic blood flow and the parameters of the blood and circulatory system. The method of performance involves the analogue of a multi-branched electrical to hydraulic transmission line applying graphical convolution to the blood flow-transform impedance relationship resulting in a theoretical pressure curve for the infinite aorta. The difference between the single pressure pulse and the computed adjusted infinite aorta pressure curve is described as the reflected wave. This reflected wave is then shown to be of reasonable configuration in time and velocity. The blood pressure is thus finally described completely by the physical parameters of the blood and the circulatory system and the blood flow.