Simulated pathline visualization of computed periodic blood flow patterns

Improvements in computer hardware and software have made it possible to model pulsatile blood flow in realistic arterial geometries. Such studies produce enormous amounts of velocity data, which are often difficult to interpret and communicate using traditional contour and/or vector field plots. Inspired by in vitro flow visualization techniques such as particle image velocimetry (PIV), we describe a simple and effective method for visualizing periodic three-dimensional velocity data, based on the subdivision and sequential display of computed particle trajectories. Analogous to a PIV experiment, the length and spacing of such simulated particle pathlines are controlled by user-specified shutter-speed and frame rate variables. Strategies for color-coding pathlines to highlight important hemodynamic features such as recirculation zones and branch flow division are presented.