Comparative numerical study of the intra-vessel flow characteristics between a flat and a cylindrical configuration in a stented wall region

Mechanical stresses and flow dynamics alteration in a stented artery region are known to stimulate intimal thickening and increase the risk of restenosis, the closure of a revascularized artery. Particle imaging velocimetry (PIV) is an optical flow visualization technique that can be used to characterize the local flow dynamics around different stent structures. However, the usual cylindrical stent geometries present visualization difficulties when using an optical measurement technique such as the PIV technique. Using a flat configuration of a stent model presents advantages over the usual cylindrical model. A planar stent model makes data acquisition easier in planes cutting through the model due to its flat geometry that is compatible with the PIV planar flow investigation technique. Furthermore, with the planar stent configuration model velocity measurements and their associated flow features can be done without inducing refraction of the laser light sheet occurring with the cylindrical model's curvature. The refraction of light should be avoided since measurement errors and reflections are the resulting effects of this laser light plane deviation when passing through the curvature of a cylindrical stent model.;The spatial and temporal distribution of the Wall Shear Stress (WSS), which is believed to be of primary importance in the development of restenosis should be comparable between the flat and the cylindrical stent configuration models. The velocity and shear strain rate distributions will be compared between the flat and cylindrical stent configurations using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations in order to analyse the feasibility of using a flat instead of a cylindrical version of the stent model for PIV experiments. It will be shown that for a physiological pulsatile flow the flat model yields results in shear strain rate spatial and temporal distribution that is comparable to the cylindrical model. A more PIV compatible, efficient and less refractive error prone validated flat model would be advantageous when several stent designs influence on the local hemodynamics around the strut geometries have to be studied quantitatively and optimized.