In Vitro Flow Experiments for Aortic Dissection Disease

Aortic dissection is an uncommon but often deadly degeneration and weakening of the aorta. The layers that constitute the aortic vessel wall dissect and delaminate allowing blood to flow in the inter-layer space. This forms a parallel blood conduit known as the false lumen. Acute cases typically present to the ER, and a diagnosis must be made in a timely and accurate manner. Speed and accuracy don't normally go hand in hand. Diagnosis and disease management can benefit greatly from a thorough understanding of the hemodynamics in relation to disease morphology. To this end, multiple in vitro flow models representing patent and non-patent disease geometries are investigated. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) is used to measure the flow behavior in the true lumen and in the false lumen. As a surrogate for diagnostic X-Ray tomography, fluorescent dye is injected into the incoming blood flow and measured using a laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) setup at the dissection site. The results from the two measurement tools provide complimentary information that can greatly inform on disease diagnosis, and aid in improving patient outcomes.