Simulation of cardiac motion on non-Newtonian, pulsating flow development in the human left anterior descending coronary artery

Abstract

This study aimed at investigating the effect of myocardial motion on pulsating blood flow distribution of the left anterior descending coronary artery in the presence of atheromatous stenosis. The moving 3D arterial tree geometry has been obtained from conventional x-ray angiograms obtained during the heart cycle and includes a number of major branches. The geometry reconstruction model has been validated against projection data from a virtual phantom arterial tree as well as with CT-based reconstruction data for the same patient investigated. Reconstructions have been obtained for a number of temporal points while linear interpolation has been used for all intermediate instances. Blood has been considered as a non-Newtonian fluid. Results have been obtained using the same pulse for the inlet blood flow rate but with fixed arterial tree geometry as well as under steady-state conditions corresponding to the mean flow rate. Predictions indicate that myocardial motion has only a minor effect on flow distribution within the arterial tree relative to the effect of the blood pressure pulse.