Author(s)

A. Turai & S. Cavalcanti

Abstract

The origin of sounds detectable in arteries with serious stenosis is still a questionable matter. To explore the hypothesis that stenosis-induced flow disturbances may be the cause of vascular sounds we numerically simulated the onset of flow oscillations in a vessel with a severe constriction. The model, based on the axi-symmetric Navier-Stokes equations, includes fluid non-linear inertial forces, viscoelastic wall motion, anatomical taper and re- flexion in the vessel extremities due to proximal and distal circulations. By this model unstable circulations and self-excited flow oscillations were repro- duced. Depending on the steady entry blood flow level in the stenotic artery segment different flow oscillatory patterns were simulated. A common char- acteristic of such flow oscillations was an high frequency component in the audib

Keywords