Aortic Hemodynamics of Spiral-Flow-Generated Mechanical Assistance.

Background: Mechanical circulatory support devices are being increasingly used as destination therapy in end-stage heart failure patients. Although current devices have significantly improved survival rates, the resulting hemodynamics remains nonphysiological. Spiral forms of blood flow are known to exist in the large arteries (eg, aorta) and serve as a biomimetic-motivation for generating these physiologically adapted flow regimes.

The mechanics of spiral flow: Enhanced washout and transport.

Spiral/helical forms of blood flow have been observed in large arteries of the cardiovascular system, but their benefits remain underappreciated. Spiral flow has been postulated to improve near-wall washout, promoting anti-atherothrombotic conditions. This research aims to study the washout characteristics of spiral flow, specifically, its ability to increase velocity and wall shear stress (WSS) in atherothrombotic-prone regions.