Exploring the Influence of Parametrized Pulsatility on Left Ventricular Washout under LVAD Support: A Computational Study Using Reduced-Order Models

TL;DR

This study uses computational models to analyze how different pulsatile flow profiles from LVADs affect left ventricular washout, finding that short, intense pulses are most effective in reducing stagnation.

Contribution

The paper introduces a reduced-order modeling approach to evaluate the impact of parametrized pulsatility profiles on ventricular washout under LVAD support.

Findings

Pulsatile flow improves ventricular washout over constant flow.

Short, intense pulses are most effective for washout.

Interval between pulses has minimal impact.

Abstract

Medical therapy for patients with severe heart disease often relies on left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). It is an ongoing topic of research how complications like stagnation and thrombosis can be prevented by using artificial pulsatility. We study a parametric pulse profile and its effect on the left ventricular washout using a computational flow model. Based on finite element simulations, we construct reduced-order models to reduce the computational costs for evaluating the parametrized problem. We observe that a pulsatile flow rate improves the washout compared to a constant flow rate. In particular, we find that short, intense pulses wash out the left ventricle best, whereas the time between subsequent pulses plays no significant role.