Numerical simulation of blood flow through asymmetric and symmetric occlusion in carotid artery

Abstract

Atherosclerosis is hardening and narrowing of arteries due to deposition of fatty materials (plaque) at the inner walls and it is known that haemodynamic plays a major role in the development of such disease. Present work considers non-Newtonian behaviour and pulsatile nature of blood flow in the three-dimensional numerical computations using Ansys Fluent 14.0. Majority of blockages in arteries have been generally reported to be asymmetric and it is observed that it has different flow dynamics than symmetric constrictions. Accordingly, effect of severity (40% and 60%) and asymmetry in constriction on possible plaque formation and flow dynamics has been predicted using oscillatory shear index (OSI). The flow field characteristics and OSI variation reveal that an existing occlusion may evolve into multiple occlusions through complex flow behaviour.