Numerical analysis of the three-dimensional blood flow in the Korean artificial heart

Abstract

Flow in the blood sac of the Korean artificial heart is numerically simulated by finite element method. Fluid-structure interaction algorithm is employed to compute the three-dimensional blood flow interacting with the sac material. For verification of the numerical method of fluid-structure interaction, two-dimensional flow in a collapsible channel with initial tension is simulated and the results are compared with numerical solutions from the literature. Incompressible viscous flow and linear elastic solid are assumed for the blood and the sac material in the device, respectively. The motion of the actuator is simplified by a time-varying pressure boundary condition imposed on the outer surface of the sac. Numerical solutions on the unsteady three-dimensional blood flow in the sac are provided for the cactus-type model in this study. During systole, the inlet is closed and the blood sac is squeezed by the action of the prescribed pressure on the surface. During diastole, the sac is filled with the blood coming from the inlet while the outlet is closed. A strong flow to the outlet and a stagnated flow near the inlet are observed during systole. Shear stress distribution is also delineated to assess the possibility of thrombus formation. We also simulate numerically the hemodynamics of "the reversed model" where the inlet and outlet are reversed for surgical convenience. It is observed that a recirculating flow was generated near the inner corner of the sac in the reversed model. To assess the material strength of the sac, the shear stress distribution in the solid material is also presented.