title: Particle image velocimetry study of aorta-renal bifurcation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Haemodynamic parameters such as separated flow regions play a key role in the progression and development of atherosclerotic lesions in renal arteries, which typically originate at the renal ostium.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to analyse the flow dynamics in a two-dimensional model of aorta-renal bifurcation, with a particular focus on the effect of aorta-to-renal flow ratio on flow separation regions.
  
  
  METHODS
  A particle image velocimetry (PIV) experiment was conducted in an acrylic model of the aorta-renal ostium and the relationship between renal-to-aorta flow ratio and separated flow region was investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For high flow ratios, a stagnation region was observed near the cranial side of the aorta. With a decrease in the flow ratio, however, this stagnation region disappeared. Furthermore, our results showed that an increase in the renal flow rate was associated with an increase in the length of the separated flow region, but a decrease in the width of the separation regions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As the renal-to-aorta flow ratio increased a longer separation region was observed on the cranial side of the renal channel.
authors.affiliation: School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Tomofumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Haga
authors.affiliation: School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Ashkan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Javadzadegan
authors.affiliation: School of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of New South Wales, ARC Centre of Excellence for Design in Light Metals, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Kaveh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kabir
authors.affiliation: School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Simmons
authors.affiliation: School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Tracie
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Barber
mesh_terms: D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000502:physiology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D012077:Renal Artery / Q000502:physiology*; D012212:Rheology / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Atherosclerosis; aorta-renal ostium; particle image velocimetry; renal-to-aorta flow ratio; separated flow region