Oxygen mass transfer in a model three-dimensional artery.
Arterial geometry is commonly non-planar and associated with swirling blood flow. In this study, we examine the effect of arterial three-dimensionality on the distribution of wall shear stress (WSS) and the mass transfer of oxygen from the blood to the vessel wall in a U-bend, by modelling the blood vessels as either cylindrical or helical conduits. The results show that under physiological flow conditions, three-dimensionality can reduce both the range and extent of low WSS regions and substantially increase oxygen flux through the walls. The Sherwood number and WSS distributions between the three-dimensional helical model and a human coronary artery show remarkable qualitative agreement, implying that coronary arteries may potentially be described with a relatively simple idealized three-dimensional model, characterized by a small number of well-defined geometric parameters. The flow pattern downstream of a planar bend results in separation of the Sh number and WSS effects, a finding that implies means of investigating them individually.
Coppola
G
G
Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
Caro
C
C
D003198:Computer Simulation; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*
D010100:Oxygen