scholarly journals Effects of a Short-Term Left Ventricular Assist Device on Hemodynamics in a Heart Failure Patient-Specific Aorta Model: A CFD Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Wang ◽  
Junwei Wang ◽  
Jing Peng ◽  
Mingming Huo ◽  
Zhiqiang Yang ◽  
...  

Patients with heart failure (HF) or undergoing cardiogenic shock and percutaneous coronary intervention require short-term cardiac support. Short-term cardiac support using a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) alters the pressure and flows of the vasculature by enhancing perfusion and improving the hemodynamic performance for the HF patients. However, due to the position of the inflow and outflow of the LVAD, the local hemodynamics within the aorta is altered with the LVAD support. Specifically, blood velocity, wall shear stress, and pressure difference are altered within the aorta. In this study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to elucidate the effects of a short-term LVAD for hemodynamic performance in a patient-specific aorta model. The three-dimensional (3D) geometric models of a patient-specific aorta and a short-term LVAD, Impella CP, were created. Velocity, wall shear stress, and pressure difference in the patient-specific aorta model with the Impella CP assistance were calculated and compared with the baseline values of the aorta without Impella CP support. Impella CP support augmented cardiac output, blood velocity, wall shear stress, and pressure difference in the aorta. The proposed CFD study could analyze the quantitative changes in the important hemodynamic parameters while considering the effects of Impella CP, and provide a scientific basis for further predicting and assessing the effects of these hemodynamic signals on the aorta.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Byeol Kim ◽  
Phong Nguyen ◽  
Yue-Hin Loke ◽  
Vincent Cleveland ◽  
Paige Mass ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Patients with single ventricle heart defects receives three stages of surgeries culminating in the Fontan surgery. During the Fontan surgery, a vascular graft is sutured between the inferior vena cava and pulmonary artery to divert deoxygenated blood flow to the lungs via passive flow. Customizing the graft configuration can maximize the long-term benefits of Fontan surgery. However, planning patient-specific surgery has several challenges including the ability for physicians to customize grafts and evaluate its hemodynamic performance. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to develop a virtual reality (VR) Fontan graft modeling and evaluation software for physicians. User study was performed to achieve three additional goals: 1) evaluate the software when used by medical doctors and engineers, 2) identify if doctors have a baseline intuition about hemodynamic performance of Fontan grafts in a VR setting, and 3) explore the impact of viewing hemodynamic simulation results in numerical and graphical formats. METHODS A total of 5 medical professionals including 4 physicians (1 fourth-year resident, 1 third-year cardiac fellow, 1 pediatric intensivist, and 1 pediatric cardiac surgeon) and 1 biomedical engineer voluntarily participated in the study. The study was pre-scripted to minimize the variability of the interactions between the experimenter and the participants. Unless a participant was familiar with the Fontan surgery, a quick information session was provided at the start. Then, all participants were trained to use the VR gear and our software, CorFix. Each participant designed one bifurcated and one tube-shaped Fontan graft for a single patient. Then a hemodynamic performance evaluation was completed, allowing the participants to further modify their tube-shaped design. The design time and hemodynamic performance for each graft design were recorded. At the end of the study, all participants were provided surveys to evaluate the usability and learnability of the software and rate the intensity of VR sickness. RESULTS The average time for creating one bifurcated and one tube-shaped grafts after a single 10-minute training were 13.40 and 5.49 minutes, accordingly. Three out of 5 bifurcated and 1 out of 5 tube-shaped graft designs were in the benchmark range of hepatic flow distribution. Reviewing hemodynamic performance results and modifying the tube-shaped design took an average time of 2.92 minutes. Participants who modified their tube-shaped graft designs were able to improve the non-physiologic wall shear stress percentage by 7.02%. All tube-shaped graft designs improved wall shear stress compared the native surgical case of the patient. None of the designs met the benchmark indexed power loss. CONCLUSIONS VR graft design software can quickly be taught to physicians without any engineering background and VR experience. Improving the system of CorFix could improve performance of the users in customizing and optimizing grafts for patients. With graphical visualization, physicians were able to improve wall shear stress of a tube-shaped graft, lowering the chance of thrombosis. Bifurcated graft designs showed potential strength in better flow split to the lungs, reducing the risk for pulmonary arteriovenous malformations.


BMC Neurology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mikołaj Zimny ◽  
Edyta Kawlewska ◽  
Anna Hebda ◽  
Wojciech Wolański ◽  
Piotr Ładziński ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Previously published computational fluid dynamics (CFD) studies regarding intracranial aneurysm (IA) formation present conflicting results. Our study analysed the involvement of the combination of high wall shear stress (WSS) and a positive WSS gradient (WSSG) in IA formation. Methods We designed a case-control study with a selection of 38 patients with an unruptured middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysm and 39 non-aneurysmal controls to determine the involvement of WSS, oscillatory shear index (OSI), the WSSG and its absolute value (absWSSG) in aneurysm formation based on patient-specific CFD simulations using velocity profiles obtained from transcranial colour-coded sonography. Results Among the analysed parameters, only the WSSG had significantly higher values compared to the controls (11.05 vs − 14.76 [Pa/mm], P = 0.020). The WSS, absWSSG and OSI values were not significantly different between the analysed groups. Logistic regression analysis identified WSS and WSSG as significant co-predictors for MCA aneurysm formation, but only the WSSG turned out to be a significant independent prognosticator (OR: 1.009; 95% CI: 1.001–1.017; P = 0.025). Significantly more patients (23/38) in the case group had haemodynamic regions of high WSS combined with a positive WSSG near the bifurcation apex, while in the control group, high WSS was usually accompanied by a negative WSSG (14/39). From the analysis of the ROC curve for WSSG, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.654, with the optimal cut-off value −0.37 Pa/mm. The largest AUC was recognised for combined WSS and WSSG (AUC = 0.671). Our data confirmed that aneurysms tend to form near the bifurcation apices in regions of high WSS values accompanied by positive WSSG. Conclusions The development of IAs is determined by an independent effect of haemodynamic factors. High WSS impacts MCA aneurysm formation, while a positive WSSG mainly promotes this process.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 999-1003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael R Levitt ◽  
Christian Mandrycky ◽  
Ashley Abel ◽  
Cory M Kelly ◽  
Samuel Levy ◽  
...  

ObjectivesTo study the correlation between wall shear stress and endothelial cell expression in a patient-specific, three-dimensional (3D)-printed model of a cerebral aneurysm.Materials and methodsA 3D-printed model of a cerebral aneurysm was created from a patient’s angiogram. After populating the model with human endothelial cells, it was exposed to media under flow for 24 hours. Endothelial cell morphology was characterized in five regions of the 3D-printed model using confocal microscopy. Endothelial cells were then harvested from distinct regions of the 3D-printed model for mRNA collection and gene analysis via quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR.) Cell morphology and mRNA measurement were correlated with computational fluid dynamics simulations.ResultsThe model was successfully populated with endothelial cells, which survived under flow for 24 hours. Endothelial morphology showed alignment with flow in the proximal and distal parent vessel and aneurysm neck, but disorganization in the aneurysm dome. Genetic analysis of endothelial mRNA expression in the aneurysm dome and distal parent vessel was compared with the proximal parent vessels. ADAMTS-1 and NOS3 were downregulated in the aneurysm dome, while GJA4 was upregulated in the distal parent vessel. Disorganized morphology and decreased ADAMTS-1 and NOS3 expression correlated with areas of substantially lower wall shear stress and wall shear stress gradient in computational fluid dynamics simulations.ConclusionsCreating 3D-printed models of patient-specific cerebral aneurysms populated with human endothelial cells is feasible. Analysis of these cells after exposure to flow demonstrates differences in both cell morphology and genetic expression, which correlate with areas of differential hemodynamic stress.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. e0217271 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. M. Moerman ◽  
K. Dilba ◽  
S. Korteland ◽  
D. H. J. Poot ◽  
S. Klein ◽  
...  

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 808-812 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Zhang ◽  
Linkai Jing ◽  
Jian Liu ◽  
Chuanhui Li ◽  
Jixing Fan ◽  
...  

ObjectiveTo identify clinical, morphological, and hemodynamic independent characteristic factors that discriminate posterior communicating artery (PCoA) aneurysm rupture status.Methods173 patients with single PCoA aneurysms (108 ruptured, 65 unruptured) between January 2012 and June 2014 were retrospectively collected. Patient-specific models based on their three-dimensional digital subtraction angiography images were constructed and analyzed by a computational fluid dynamic method. All variables were analyzed by univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis.ResultsTwo clinical factors (younger age and atherosclerosis), three morphological factors (higher aspect ratio, bifurcation type, and irregular shape), and six hemodynamic factors (lower mean and minimum wall shear stress, higher oscillatory shear index, a greater portion of area under low wall shear stress, unstable and complex flow pattern) were significantly associated with PCoA aneurysm rupture. Independent factors characterizing the rupture status were identified as age (OR 0.956, p=0.015), irregular shape (OR 6.709, p<0.001), and minimum wall shear stress (OR 0.001, p=0.038).ConclusionsWe combined clinical, morphological, and hemodynamic characteristics analysis and found the three strongest independent factors for PCoA aneurysm rupture were younger age, irregular shape, and low minimum wall shear stress. This may be useful for guiding risk assessments and subsequent treatment decisions for PCoA aneurysms.


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