Center for Environmental and Applied Fluid Mechanics Seminar: Pavlos P. Vlachos

Description

The Center for Environmental and Applied Fluid Mechanics presents Dr. Pavlos P. Vlachos, a professor of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University, who will discuss "Clinical Flow Measurements Putting Experimental Fluid Mechanics in Clinical Practice." This seminar is hosted by Dr. Rui Ni, an assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.

Abstract:

In this talk, we will probe flows in humans, using in-vivo measurements in clinical settings, and we will discuss how traditional experimental fluids mechanics tools can translate into clinical practice.

Flows in the cardiovascular system manifest intrinsic complexity, which is often associated diseased states. Imaging modalities such as ultrasound/echocardiography and phase-contrast MRI provide unique opportunities and challenges for flow measurements in patients. Currently, the relationship between clinical flow measurements and clinical diagnostic parameters is qualitative, and it often is reliant on heuristics and non-physical assumptions. Here, we will try to overcome these limitations by integrating medical imaging with experimental fluid mechanics, in order to, ultimately, improve accuracy, robustness, and clinical diagnostic utility of these tools.

First, we will discuss how using 4D flow MRI we can more reliably extract hemodynamic parameters that can be used for classification of risk of rapture of cerebral aneurysms. After, we will transition to the analysis of echocardiographic imaging for heart failure. We will show an improved approach for clinical implementation of EchoPIV (echocardiographic Particle Image Velocimetry) and a new method for the velocity reconstruction of Color-Doppler flow imaging. Finally, we will present a use-case in the analysis of fetal and neonatal echocardiograms of babies born with single ventricle (hypoplastic left heart syndrome).