Affiliations: [a] School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia | [b] School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, The University of Sydney, NSW, Australia | [c] School of Materials Science and Engineering, The University of New South Wales, ARC Centre of Excellence for Design in Light Metals, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Tracie Barber, School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. Tel.: +61 2 9385 4081; E-mail:t.barber@unsw.edu.au
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: Haemodynamic parameters such as separated flow regions
play a key role in the progression and development of atherosclerotic
lesions in renal arteries, which typically originate at the renal ostium.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyse the flow dynamics
in a two-dimensional model of aorta-renal bifurcation, with a particular
focus on the effect of aorta-to-renal flow ratio on flow separation regions.
METHOD: A particle image velocimetry (PIV) experiment was conducted
in an acrylic model of the aorta-renal ostium and the relationship between
renal-to-aorta flow ratio and separated flow region was investigated.
RESULTS: For high flow ratios, a stagnation region was observed
near the cranial side of the aorta. With a decrease in the flow ratio,
however, this stagnation region disappeared. Furthermore, our results showed
that an increase in the renal flow rate was associated with an increase in
the length of the separated flow region, but a decrease in the width of the
separation regions.
CONCLUSIONS: As the renal-to-aorta flow ratio increased a longer
separation region was observed on the cranial side of the renal channel.
