The regurgitant flow fields of clinically used mechanical heart valves have been traditionally studied in vitro using flow visualization, ultrasound techniques, and laser Doppler velocimetry under steady and pulsatile flow. Detailed investigation of the forward and regurgitant flow fields of these valves can elucidate a valve's propensity for blood element damage, thrombus formation, or cavitat...

Abstract Background Pulsatile flow has been proved to protect vital organ function and microcirculation during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Studies revealed that pulsatile shear stress plays a role in the microcirculatory integrity. The objective of this study was investigate how pulsatility affects wall ECMO. Methods Using i-Cor system, we compared effects pulstile or non-pulsat...

Effective arterial elastance (E(A)) was proposed as a lumped parameter that incorporates pulsatile and resistive afterload and is increasingly being used in clinical studies. Theoretical modeling studies suggest that E(A) is minimally affected by pulsatile load, but little human data are available. We assessed the relationship between E(A) and arterial load determined noninvasively from central...

1. The effects of pulsatile and continuous intravenous administration of exogenous, pituitary-derived chicken growth hormone (p-cGH) on lipid metabolism and endocrine/metabolite levels of broiler-strain pullets were studied. 2. Eight-week-old pullets were administered p-cGH or vehicle over a 10 min period every 90 min for 7 days. 3. Pullets were also administered the same daily amount (123 micr...

The objective of this study was to compare the effects of pulsatile and nonpulsatile extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) on hemodynamic energy and systemic microcirculation in an acute cardiac failure model in piglets. Fourteen piglets with a mean body weight of 6.08 ± 0.86 kg were divided into pulsatile (N = 7) and nonpulsatile (N = 7) ECMO groups. The experimental ECMO circuit consiste...