Numerical simulation of flow in curved coronary arteries with progressive amounts of stenosis using fluid-structure interaction modelling

© 2014 American Scientific Publishers All rights reserved. The two-way fluid-structure interaction analysis (FSI) between the blood vessel wall and blood through elastic arteries with eccentric stenotic plaques was carried out in the ANSYS Mechanical and CFX modules based on the finite element method. The computational fluid dynamics simulation that is based on the pulsatile blood flow velocity and pressure at inlet and outlet of the artery allows us to study the fluid mechanical properties of blood through arteries with progressive amount of plaque growth. The hemodynamic analysis computation of average wall shear stress (WSS) over the arterial surface, pressure drop (δP) between inlet and outlet of the artery, and von Mises stress (σv ) at the throat of the stenosis is carried out for varying based on the degree of lumen stenosis. The results show that the values of WSS, δP and σv are in positive correlation with the narrowing of the lumen. Our FSI framework can effectively examine the influence of the variability in curvilinear arterial wall geometry on the blood flow characteristics. This study can be used to provide the biomedical engineering basis of the angiographic assessment of occlusion due to lesion development in curvilinear atherosclerotic coronary arteries.