Blood flow in the embryonic heart

hemodynamic characteristics that affect heart structure and function and potential development of pathologies. The major objective of this research project was to develop a new conceptual model of embryonic blood flow during the critical stages of heart development in order to explore embryonic hemodynamic characteristics that may lead to cardiac birth defects and pathophysiology during adult life. We have developed a one-dimensional model of fluid flow through a collapsible tube with varying internal diameters and a sinus-like cavity at an asymmetric longitudinal location where periodic external pressure was applied. The MacCormack numerical scheme was implemented to solve the non-dimensional governing equations (e.g., continuity, Navier-Stokes and tube law). In addition, we also developed a complex three-dimensional model of fluid-structure interaction (FSI) that simultaneously solved the fluid flow and the structure of the zebrafish embryo using ADINA commercial finite-element package. Recently, we developed a heart-like model of the chick tubular embryonic heart, including the whole circulatory system, and simulated three pumping mechanisms: impedance pumping (IP), peristaltic pumping (PP) and biological pumping (BP). The BP mechanism yielded the level and time-dependent pattern of blood flow and blood pressure, as well as contractility pattern that were observed in in vivo experiments.