Development of a tunable plug and play in vitro physiologic PIV flow setup and demonstration on a bypass graft model

The flow structure within anatomically accurate cardiovascular system models must be well characterized before a correlation between flow within the artery and the onset of disease can be made. A fundamental system capable of taking full-field measurements in anatomically accurate internal flow passages is required.; This project aimed to develop the essential elements of such a system and use it to measure the flow field in a physiologically relevant model. An idealized geometry was selected for system development and demonstration. A water-soluble replica of the symmetric bypass model was manufactured using Rapid Prototyping (RP) technology, polished, then cast in clear plastic. Once the plastic cured, the model was dissolved away, leaving the internal flow passages under investigation. The velocity structure was measured using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), and thus optical access to the flow was required. An aqueous solution that has the same index of refraction as the finished model was used as the working fluid in the experiment. Viscosity was also adjusted to match the viscosity of blood.; A flow system capable of delivering a range of steady or physiologically representative flow conditions to the geometry under investigation was developed. Laminar tube flow experiments were used to qualify the PIV system and many elements were incorporated into the experimental setup and protocols in order to reliably reproduce theoretical results. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...