Hemodynamics Characteristics of a Four-Way Right-Atrium Bypass Connector

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Currently, the surgical procedure followed by the majority of cardiac surgeons to address right ventricular dysfunction is the Fontan procedure, which connects the superior vena cava and inferior vena cava (IVC) directly to the left and right pulmonary arteries (LPA and RPA, respectively) bypassing the right atrium. The goal of this study is to develop a patient-specific four-way connector to bypass the dysfunctional right ventricle and augment the pulmonary circulation. The four-way connector was intended to channel the blood flow from the inferior and superior vena cava directly to the RPA and LPA. By creating a connector with proper hemodynamic characteristics, one can control the jet flow interactions between the inferior and superior vena cava and streamline the flow toward the RPA and LPA. The focus for this study was on creating a system that could identify the optimal configuration for the four-way connector for patients from 0 to 20 years of age. A platform was created in ANSYS that utilized the design of experiments (DOE) function to minimize power-loss and blood damage propensity in the connector based on junction geometries. It was confirmed that as the patient's age and artery size change, the optimal size and shape of the connector also changes. However, the corner radius did not decrease at the same rate as the opening diameters. However, it was found that power losses within the connector decrease, and average and maximum blood traversal time through the connector increased for increasing opening radius.