On the pulsatile flow through a coronary bifurcation with stent

Abstract The present study investigates pulsatile flow through models of junctions corresponding to geometries most usually observed in the major coronary artery, with and without stent. A transparent experimental device is used to obtain PIV measurements of the instantaneous flow fields with respect to both meridian and cross sections. They clearly show the persistence of a strong secondary flow, even when a stent is implanted. A numerical analysis is then performed from the experimental data to deduce the circulation of the cross velocity field. The balance of the circulation within the three measurement sections can be interpreted as a factor measuring the Wall Shear Stress (WSS). It is a relatively simple way to estimate the total WSS caused by changing flow due to the presence of a stent.