3D flow study in a mildly stenotic coronary artery phantom using a whole volume PIV method.

Blood flow dynamics has an important role in atherosclerosis initiation, progression, plaque rupture and thrombosis eventually causing myocardial infarction. In particular, shear stress is involved in platelet activation, endothelium function and secondary flows have been proposed as possible variables in plaque erosion. In order to investigate these three-dimensional flow characteristics in the context of a mild stenotic coronary artery, a whole volume PIV method has been developed and applied to a scaled-up transparent phantom. Experimental three-dimensional velocity data was processed to estimate the 3D shear stress distributions and secondary flows within the flow volume. The results show that shear stress reaches values out of the normal and atheroprotective range at an early stage of the obstructive pathology and that important secondary flows are also initiated at an early stage of the disease. The results also support the concept of a vena contracta associated with the jet in the context of a coronary artery stenosis with the consequence of higher shear stresses in the post-stenotic region in the blood domain than at the vascular wall.