Author(s)

I. Van Tricht, D. De Wachter, J. H.M. Tordoir & P. Verdonck

Abstract

Experimental study of hydrodynamics in PTFE-grafts 1. Van ~richt', D. De ~ a c h t e r ' , J.H.M ~ o r d o i r ~ and P. ~erdonck' I Hydraulics Laboratory, Institute Biomedical Technology, Ghent University (RUG), Ghent, Belgium. 2~epartnzent of Surgery, Academic Hospital Maastricht (AHW, Maastricht. The Netherlands. Abstract An experimental model has been built to investigate the hydrodynamics in vascular access grafts for hemodialysis. Two types polytetrafluorethyleen (PTFE)-grafts are tested: a straight and a tapered graft. For both grafts, two scenarios are studied. The first is the "normal" scenario: mean inlet pressure is kept at 100 mm Hg. In the second, "low resistance", mean outlet pressure is held at 20 mm Hg. Flow rate varies between 500 and 1500 mllmin. Temporal pressure curves and maximum velocity curves are measured on different locations in the model. Spatial pressure profiles for mean and pulse pressure are derived out of these measurements. Pulse pressure is higher in the tapere

Keywords