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The methodologies of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and response surface method (RSM) were integrated to uncover the optimal correlational framework for intricate hydraulic geometric parameters of guide vane centrifugal pumps. Parameters such as blade number, blade wrap angle, blade outlet angle, and relative axial distance between the guide vane and impeller, as well as radial distance, are embraced as optimization design variables. Meanwhile, pump head and efficiency were chosen as responsive variables. An analysis of 46 sets of hydraulic performance data was carried out by using the Box–Behnken experimental design method. Subsequently, response surface approximation models were established between hydraulic parameters and the efficiency, as well as the head. The optimal design point was predicted and a simulation of the hydraulic characteristics for the optimal scheme was conducted; the errors were 0.846% for head and 0.256% for efficiency between the simulation results with predicted results from RSM. The optimized model demonstrates noteworthy enhancements in hydraulic performance in comparison to the original model. By analyzing the internal flow of the optimized model under transient conditions, it was found that, as the internal flow of the flow passage components is relatively disordered at small flow rates, the amplitude of pressure pulsation is affected a lot. At other flow rates, the inside pressure pulsation waveform exhibits pronounced periodicity, and the primary causes of pressure pulsation in various flow components are not the same. Wall dissipation and turbulent dissipation emerge as significant contributors to the entropy generation in this centrifugal pump. The magnitude of entropy generation is correlated with the flow rate and the structural configuration of the pump's components. High-entropy regions concentrate around the leading and trailing edges of the blades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Newtonian fluid model has been commonly applied in simulating cerebral blood flow in intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS) cases using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling, while blood is a shear-thinning non-Newtonian fluid. We aimed to investigate the differences of cerebral hemodynamic metrics quantified in CFD models built with Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluid assumptions, in patients with ICAS. Methods: We built a virtual artery model with an eccentric 75% stenosis and performed static CFD simulation. We also constructed CFD models in three patients with ICAS of different severities in the luminal stenosis. We performed static simulations on these models with Newtonian and two non-Newtonian (Casson and Carreau-Yasuda) fluid models. We also performed transient simulations on another patient-specific model. We measured translesional pressure ratio (PR) and wall shear stress (WSS) values in all CFD models, to reflect the changes in pressure and WSS across a stenotic lesion. In all the simulations, we compared the PR and WSS values in CFD models derived with Newtonian, Casson, and Carreau-Yasuda fluid assumptions. Results: In all the static and transient simulations, the Newtonian/non-Newtonian difference on PR value was negligible. As to WSS, in static models (virtual and patient-specific), the rheological difference was not obvious in areas with high WSS, but observable in low WSS areas. In the transient model, the rheological difference of WSS areas with low WSS was enhanced, especially during diastolic period. Conclusion: Newtonian fluid model could be applicable for PR calculation, but caution needs to be taken when using the Newtonian assumption in simulating WSS especially in severe ICAS cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although wall shear stress (WSS) and pressure play important roles in plaque vulnerability, characteristics of the two indices in intracranial atherosclerosis (ICAS) have not been fully investigated yet. This study aimed to elucidate this issue by means of establishing a non-invasive computational fluid dynamics method with time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography (TOF-MRA) of the whole cerebral artery. Materials and Methods: Subjects with symptomatic ICAS in the middle cerebral artery domain were enrolled, excluding those with concomitant internal carotid artery stenosis. Based on patient-specific TOF-MRA images for three-dimensional (3D) meshes and arterial blood pressure with patient-specific carotid artery ultrasonography for inlet boundary conditions, patients' three-dimensional hemodynamics were modeled by a finite element method governed by Navier-Stokes equations. Results: Among the 55 atherosclerotic lesions analyzed by this TOF-MRA based computational fluid dynamics model, the maximum WSS (WSSmax) was most frequently detected at the apex points and the upper half of the upstream sections of the lesions, whereas the maximum pressure was most often located at the lower half of the upstream sections. As the percent stenosis increases, the relative value of WSSmax and pressure drop increased with significantly increasing steep beyond 50% stenosis. Moreover, WSSmax was found to linearly correlate with pressure drop in ICAS. Conclusions: This study on ICAS revealed certain trends of longitudinal distribution of WSS and pressure and the influences of percent stenosis on cerebral hemodynamics, as well as the correlations between WSS and pressure drop. It represents a step forward in applying computational flow simulation techniques in studying ICAS and stroke, in a patient-specific manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to investigate the roles of antegrade residual flow and leptomeningeal collateral flow in sustaining cerebral perfusion distal to an intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS). Patients with apparently normal cerebral perfusion distal to a symptomatic middle cerebral artery (MCA)-M1 stenosis were enrolled. Computational fluid dynamics models were built based on CT angiography to obtain a translesional pressure ratio (PR) to gauge the residual antegrade flow. Leptomeningeal collaterals (LMCs) were scaled on CT angiography. Cerebral perfusion metrics were obtained in CT perfusion maps. Among 83 patients, linear regression analyses revealed that both translesional PR and LMC scale were independently associated with relative ipsilesional mean transit time (rMTT). Subgroup analyses showed that ipsilesional rMTT was significantly associated with translesional PR (p < 0.001) rather than LMC scale in those with a moderate (50–69%) MCA stenosis, which, however, was only significantly associated with LMC scale (p = 0.051) in those with a severe (70–99%) stenosis. Antegrade residual flow and leptomeningeal collateral flow have complementary effects in sustaining cerebral perfusion distal to an ICAS, while cerebral perfusion may rely more on the collateral circulation in those with a severe stenosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) allows noninvasive fractional flow (FF) computation in intracranial arterial stenosis. Removal of small artery branches is necessary in CFD simulation. The consequent effects on FF value needs to be judged.Methods: An idealized vascular model was built with 70% focal luminal stenosis. A branch with one third or one half of the radius of the parent vessel was added at a distance of 5, 10, 15 and 20 mm to the lesion. With pressure and flow rate applied as inlet and outlet boundary conditions, CFD simulations were performed. Flow distribution at bifurcations followed Murray's law. By including or removing side branches, five patient-specific intracranial artery models were simulated. Transient simulation was performed on a patient-specific model, with a larger branch for validation. Branching effect was considered trivial if the FF difference between paired models (branches included or removed) was within 5%.Results: Compared with the control model without a branch, in all idealized models the relative differences of FF was within 2%. In five pairs of cerebral arteries (branches included/removed), FFs were 0.876 and 0.877, 0.853 and 0.858, 0.874 and 0.869, 0.865 and 0.858, 0.952 and 0.948. The relative difference in each pair was less than 1%. In transient model, the relative difference of FF was 3.5%.Conclusion: The impact of removing side branches with radius less than 50% of the parent vessel on FF measurement accuracy is negligible in static CFD simulations, and minor in transient CFD simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Success in clinical trials of intracranial atherosclerosis (ICAS) is related to accurate identification of high-risk patients. Noninvasive computational fluid dynamics (CFD) of stenotic lesions may enhance therapeutic decision-making. We determined whether physiologic parameters change downstream cerebral hemodynamics in patients with ICAS.Methods: Consecutive ICAS patients who underwent both CT angiography (CTA) and digital subtraction angiography were enrolled. CFD models were made using CTA source images. Inlet boundary conditions were defined using three ranges of systolic blood pressure (BP) (109.2, 158, and 225 mmHg) and hematocrit (27.3, 40.2, and 48.8). Ratios of pressure, shear strain rates (SSR), and flow velocity across the lesion were calculated using CFD simulations. A linear mixed model was used for the statistical analysis of repeated simulations.Results: Among the 56 patients, 32 had moderate stenosis (50-69%) and 24 had severe stenosis (70-99%). A linear mixed model revealed that the ratio of pressure was predicted by systolic BP and stenosis group interaction (P = .036). These pressure decreases were associated with systolic BP (P < .001) and stenosis group (P < .001), but not with hematocrit (P = .337). Post-hoc analysis revealed that pressure decreases were more profound in the severe stenosis than the moderate stenosis group when comparing high and low systolic BP (P = .0108). Ratios of SSR and velocity were only associated in the stenosis group.Conclusions: Our study showed that systolic BP along with the degree of stenosis was associated with pressure decreases across stenotic lesions. Physiologic conditions may superimpose further changes in post-stenotic or downstream blood flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis (ICAS) of ≥70% luminal stenosis are at high risk of stroke recurrence. We aimed to evaluate the relationships between hemodynamics of ICAS revealed by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models and risk of stroke recurrence in this patient subset. Methods: Patients with a symptomatic ICAS lesion of 70–99% luminal stenosis were screened and enrolled in this study. CFD models were reconstructed based on baseline computed tomographic angiography (CTA) source images, to reveal hemodynamics of the qualifying symptomatic ICAS lesions. Change of pressures across a lesion was represented by the ratio of post- and pre-stenotic pressures. Change of shear strain rates (SSR) across a lesion was represented by the ratio of SSRs at the stenotic throat and proximal normal vessel segment, similar for the change of flow velocities. Patients were followed up for 1 year. Results: Overall, 32 patients (median age 65; 59.4% males) were recruited. The median pressure, SSR and velocity ratios for the ICAS lesions were 0.40 (−2.46–0.79), 4.5 (2.2–20.6), and 7.4 (5.2–12.5), respectively. SSR ratio (hazard ratio [HR] 1.027; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.004–1.051; P = 0.023) and velocity ratio (HR 1.029; 95% CI, 1.002–1.056; P = 0.035) were significantly related to recurrent territorial ischemic stroke within 1 year by univariate Cox regression, respectively with the c-statistics of 0.776 (95% CI, 0.594–0.903; P = 0.014) and 0.776 (95% CI, 0.594–0.903; P = 0.002) in receiver operating characteristic analysis. Conclusions: Hemodynamics of ICAS on CFD models reconstructed from routinely obtained CTA images may predict subsequent stroke recurrence in patients with a symptomatic ICAS lesion of 70–99% luminal stenosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-Newtonian fluid, computational fluid dynamics, wall shear stress, intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis, translesional pressure ratio Publisher's Note All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Keywords: non-Newtonian fluid; intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis; computational fluid dynamics; translesional pressure ratio; wall shear stress EN non-Newtonian fluid intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis computational fluid dynamics translesional pressure ratio wall shear stress 1 1 1 10/22/21 20211019 NES 211019 In the published article, there was an error regarding the affiliations for Dr. Xinyi Leng. [Extracted from the article]

• Coronary microcirculatory dysfunction could be simulated using computational fluid dynamics. • MR variations in a branch with mild stenosis has limited hemodynamic effects on other branches. • Increased MR in a highly stenosed branch increases the blood flow and iFR of its cognate branches. The instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) has been proposed to estimate the hemodynamic severity of atherosclerotic stenosis in coronary arteries. The atherosclerotic stenosis in a proximal coronary artery could change its distal microcirculatory resistance (MR). However, there is a lack of investigation about the effect of MR variation on the blood flow and iFR of stenotic coronary arteries. We aim to investigate the changes of blood flow and iFR caused by distal MR variation. Four three-dimensional models of coronary arteries were reconstructed from the computed tomography images of two normal cases and two cases with 74.9% and 96.4% (in area) stenoses in a large branch of left anterior descending artery (LAD). Computational fluid dynamics simulation was performed on each model under 6 MR situations: hyperemia as the reference situation, resting when MR was multiplied by 8/3 in all outlet branches, h-one-1.5 and h-one-2 when MR was multiplied by 1.5 and 2.0 in one branch (the stenotic, or the corresponding branch in normal case) of LAD, h-branches-1.5 and h-branches-2 when MR was multiplied by 1.5 and 2.0 in the stenotic/corresponding and its cognate branches. Flow rate and iFR of each outlet branch were then calculated and compared between different MR situations to investigate the effect of MR variation on flow rate and iFR. In the 74.9% stenosed and normal cases, referring to the hyperemia situation, the increase of MR in any branch significantly decreased its flow rate and increased its iFR, with limited effect on the flow rate (<3%) and iFR (<0.01) of other branches. However, in the 96.4% stenosed case, the doubled MR in the stenosed branch (h-one-2) significantly increased the flow rate (>10%) and iFR (>0.05) of its cognate branches. The increase of MR in a normal or mildly stenosed branch of coronary artery decreases its blood flow and increases its iFR, with limited effect on other branches. Whereas, the increase of MR in a severely stenotic large branch could significantly increase the flow velocity and iFR of its cognate branches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]