| Start Date: | 8/31/2018 | Start Time: | 9:00 AM |
| End Date: | 8/31/2018 | End Time: | 11:00 AM |
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Event Description
BIOMED PhD Thesis Defense
Title:
Generation, Computational Biofluid Mechanics, and Visualization of Complex Blood Flow Dynamics
Speaker:
Pablo Huang Zhang, PhD Candidate, School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, Drexel University
Advisors:
J. Yasha Kresh, Professor, Departments of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Medicine, College of Medicine, Drexel University
Kenneth Barbee, Professor, School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, Drexel University
Abstract:
The advent of new imaging modalities (i. e., 4D MRI, 3D echocardiography) in recent years have facilitated the study and growing recognition that some of the flow in the cardiovascular system is naturally spiral and three-dimensional. The helical organization of the myocardial fibers, the heart’s torsional contraction dynamics, aortic valve structure, the out-of-plane geometry of the aorta and tortuosity of vessels all contribute to the generation of spiral patterns of blood flow. In nature, many forms of fluid transport (e. g. whirlpool, cyclones) demonstrate high efficiency, flow entrainment, and stability due to their spirality. Flow in the cardiovascular system may also benefit from similar self-stabilizing impulsion dynamics.
Although spiral blood flow structures have been observed in the aorta and other large arteries, many questions remain unanswered regarding its influence on normative cardiovascular physiology, and pathophysiology. The research work herein aims to study spiral flow dynamics and to understand its specific characteristics, especially those in athero-susceptible regions. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was used to study the modulation of spiral flow and its impact in idealized vascular phantoms (Aim 1) and realistic vascular geometries, namely the aortic arch with an anastomosed cannula, representative of the outflow graft of a mechanical circulatory support device (Aim 2). Aim 1 served as a test platform for studying spiral flow characteristics. Aim 2 provided an example of the translational applicability of spiral flow. Benchtop flow circuits were used to validate key aspects of the in-silico simulations. This research work brought together computational fluid dynamics with 3D vascular printing and benchtop mock circulatory flow loop visualization and analysis methodologies.
It is expected that the findings of this research will help inform the next generation designs of vascular/endovascular prosthesis/stents, valves, and mechanical circulatory support devices. Spiral flow is pervasive, fundamental, and can motivate future biomimetically-inspired engineering designs. |
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Location:
Bossone Research Center, Room 709, located at 32nd and Market Streets. |
Audience:
Undergraduate StudentsGraduate StudentsFacultyStaff |
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