A coupled CFD-FEA study of the sound generated in a stenosed artery and transmitted through tissue layers

TL;DR

This study introduces a coupled CFD-FEA computational method to simulate blood flow-induced sound generation and transmission in a stenosed artery, capturing acoustic signals on tissue surfaces with improved accuracy and efficiency.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel two-step, one-way coupled hydro vibroacoustic approach for simulating arterial sound generation and propagation through tissue layers.

Findings

Validated method against analytical solutions.

Accurately captures break frequency of velocity fluctuations.

Includes fluid-structure interaction for realistic modeling.

Abstract

A new computational approach for simulating the blood flow induced sound generation and propagation in a stenosed artery with one-sided constriction was investigated. This computational hemoacoustic method is based on mapping the transient pressure (force) fluctuations on the vessel wall and solving for the structural vibrations in frequency domain. These vibrations were detected as sound on the epidermal surface. The current hydro vibroacoustic method employs a two step, one way coupled approach for the sound generation in the flow domain and its propagation through the tissue layers. The results were validated by comparing with previous analytical and computational solutions. It was found that the bruits (generated from the flow around the stenosis) are related primarily to the time derivative of the integrated pressure force on the arterial wall downstream of the stenosis. Advantages of the methods used in the current study include: (a) capability of providing accurate solution with a faster solution time; (b) accurately capturing the break frequency of the velocity fluctuation measured on epidermal surface; (c) inclusion of the fluid structure interaction between blood flow and the arterial wall.