Numerical hydrodynamic calculations of catheter characteristics

Abstract

The theory of fluid flow in compliant tubes developed in a previous paper is applied to a catheter, and the results of various calculations are compared with experiment. When a parabola is used for the unknown velocity profile, the calculated gains are too high. Agreement is slightly improved by using more reasonable profiles. It is shown that there exists a functional relationship between the parameter gamma and the nondimensional parameter alpha(10) which gives reasonable agreements with all the experimental data considered. The theory of Womersley is applied to the catheter, and the calculated gains are larger than those observed experimentally. A form for the frictional force suggested by Lambossy is used in some further calculations.