Blood Flow and Cardiac Energetics
During a cardiac cycle, the filling and emptying of the left ventricle is associated with characteristic patterns of blood flow. Diastolic filling shows an initial rapidly flowing transmitral stream, which decelerates partially transforming from linear to circular flow as it is subsequently redirected towards the left ventricular outflow tract. During this process of flow redirection, essential blood mixing is supported by and kinetic energy of the incoming flow is stored in vortices formed inside the LV cavity.
In the presence cardiac disease, such regular flow patterns could be disturbed and turbulent blood flow may arise, resulting in an increased energy dissipation within the LV. Hence the LV does not only need to overcome the volume overload but also needs to produce more work. Detection of such intra-ventricular blood flow changes and their correlation and impact on the progression of the underlying disease, is in focus of this research project.