Key result
External cardiac impact consistently increases viscous energy dissipation and alters LV velocity fields across cycle timings.
Why the study?
Blunt chest injuries are a major component of motor vehicle crash fatalities, and this study sought to quantify the effect of low-velocity impacts at different timings of the cardiac cycle on acute hemodynamic response and energy levels inside models of the LV and aorta.
Does externally imposed low-velocity impact at different timings of the cardiac cycle alter the velocity field and energy dissipation in an in-vitro model of the left ventricle and aorta?
Does externally imposed low-velocity impact at different timings of the cardiac cycle alter the velocity field and energy dissipation in an in-vitro model of the left ventricle and aorta?
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
In-vitro modeling demonstrates that the biomechanical and hemodynamic response of the heart to blunt chest trauma is phase-dependent, with even short, sub-physiological impacts inducing flow disturbances and increased energy dissipation.
Purpose While motor vehicle crashes are a leading cause of death, blunt chest injuries represent a major component of these fatalities. In-vitro experiments provide a reproducible and ethically acceptable approach to replicating blunt chest trauma scenarios. This paper quantifies the effect of low-velocity impacts at different timings of the cardiac cycle on the acute hemodynamic response and energy levels inside models of the left ventricle (LV) and the aorta. Methods A left heart simulator incorporating a transparent silicone LV was used in this study. The LV was submerged in a water-glycerol mixture, which also served as the circulating working fluid, flowing through the left atrium, into the LV and the aorta. Bioprosthetic valves were used in both the mitral and aortic positions. Two linear motors were employed to simulate LV contraction and externally imposed impact at five different timings within the cardiac cycle. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) was used to track seeded particles in the fluid, enabling reconstruction of the velocity field and quantification of energy dissipation in the LV and aorta. Results The LV velocity field was altered in all cases except during early systolic impact. We observed that vorticity decreased most prominently during late systolic impact, while viscous energy dissipation (VED) increased in all cases at the moment of impact. In the aorta, we observed that flow velocity, flow rate, kinetic energy (KE), and VED increased primarily during systolic impact conditions. Conclusion These findings demonstrate that the biomechanical response of the heart is phase-dependent, and that even short, sub-physiological impacts can induce flow disturbances.
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Sweidy et al. (2026) studied Blunt chest trauma. Externally imposed low-velocity impact at five different timings of the cardiac cycle vs. Unimpacted baseline conditions and varying cardiac cycle phases was evaluated on Left ventricle and aortic velocity field and viscous energy dissipation (VED). Externally imposed impact at five cardiac cycle timings increased viscous energy dissipation in all cases and altered the LV velocity field in all except early systolic impact.
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