Computer simulation of blood flow patterns in arteries of various geometries

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to illustrate the application of computer simulation to the study of blood flow through arteries and to demonstrate the relationship between geometry of the vessels and local flow patterns. A finite element computer program was developed to simulate steady and pulsatile blood flow by solving the continuity and Navier-Stokes equations. The accuracy of the computational method has been confirmed by comparing the numeric results to analytic solutions and to published experimental data from physical models. The results are presented as plots of the velocity vectors, streamlines, and pressure contours. The computational model has been applied to illustrate flow patterns in the following situations: pulsatile flow in a cylindric artery and an artery with an axisymmetric stenosis, steady flow in cylindric arteries with stenoses of varying severity and with different flow rates, steady flow in an artery containing a fusiform aneurysm, steady flow in a two-dimensional model of a symmetric Y-shaped bifurcation, and steady flow in a two-dimensional model of the carotid bifurcation. Regions that are commonly associated with arterial disease often coincide with zones of reversed or stagnant flow. In conclusion, the versatility and feasibility of computational simulation of blood flow is illustrated by this study. Although this mathematic model is a simplication of the real flow phenomena, it yields results that provide useful insights into the understanding of local blood flow patterns for a variety of complex geometries.