Influence of flow structures on clot formation around bodies of revolution with relation to mechanical heart valve prostheses

摘要

PIV has been applied to characterize the flow around static solid bodies in an attempt to link flow structure with blood cot formation: a simplification of the flows found around mechanical heart valve prostheses. The technique has been used to study both steady and pulsatile flows around these bodies and can be extended to investigate the flow patterns around valves where computer simulation is difficult. The study has shown that shear stress is readily calculable over the investigation plane and for the test bodies is below the level postulated to damage blood cells. The velocity fields determined support a link between areas of stasis and clot formation. A preliminary investigation of the residence time distribution of cells in the recirculation zone for one of the test bodies allows a reasonable estimate for the rate of deposition of the clot to be made.