An Experimental Setup for the Analysis of Patient-Specific Left Atrial Appendage with Particle Image Velocimetry Investigation

Emanuele Gasparotti, Emanuele Vignali, Rachele Marangoni, Jordi Mill, Andy L. Olivares, Carlos Albors, Manal Barrouhou-Berrouhou, Oscar Camara, Simona Celi

Abstract: Patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (AF) often experience cardiac arrhythmia, leading to altered blood flow and an increased risk of thrombus formation in the left atrial appendage (LAA), thereby significantly raising the likelihood of stroke. Understanding the fluid dynamics within the LAA is essential for identifying effective therapeutic strategies for AF patients. However, fluid simulations require verification and validation experiments to build the necessary credibility to be used to support clinical decisions. For doing so, in vitro experiments are key to create ground-truth data for computational models. In this study, an in vitro experimental setup was developed to investigate the fluid dynamics of the left atrium and LAA using a deformable, patient-specific silicone phantom fabricated from computed tomography (CT) data segmentation. The phantom included a geometry with LA, LAA and pulmonary veins and it was integrated into a mock circulatory loop, where physiological conditions were imposed. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) was performed using a dedicated LED-PIV system, focusing particularly on the LAA region. Velocity fields were acquired across multiple longitudinal and transversal planes, revealing zones of flow stagnation and vortex formation near the LAA apex. The data provide a robust experimental benchmark for validating computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models, advancing the understanding of LAA hemodynamics, and informing the design of therapeutic interventions for atrial fibrillation.

External IDs:doi:10.1007/978-3-031-94559-5_17