Reconstruction of blood flow patterns in human arteries

Local haemodynamic factors in large arteries are associated with the pathop hysiology of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and strokes. I n search of these factors and their correlation with atheroma formation, qu antitative haemodynamic data in realistic arterial geometry become crucial. At present no in vivo non-invasive technique is available that can provide accurate measurement of three-dimensional blood velocities and shear stres ses in curved and branching sites of vessels where atherosclerotic plaques are found frequently. This paper presents a computer modelling technique wh ich combines state-of-the-art computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with new n oninvasive magnetic resonance imaging techniques to provide the complete ha emodynamic data in 'real' arterial geometries. Using magnetic resonance ang iographic and velocity images acquired from the aortic bifurcation of a hea lthy human subject, CFD simulations have been carried out and the predicted flow patterns demonstrate the non-planar-type flow characteristics found i n experimental studies.