Numerical Investigation of Shape of Blood Heat Exchange Catheter

Despite the numerous advantages of blood heat exchange catheters, there is a high risk of thrombosis. It is believed that thrombus formation is accelerated by the presence of vortices and shear rate. In this study, the blood flow around a catheter in a blood vessel was analyzed using computational fluid dynamics to investigate the shape of a blood heat exchange catheter that suppresses thrombus formation and improves cooling efficiency. The flow was evaluated based on the velocity vector, vorticity, shear rate, pressure, and temperature. The results show that some convex shapes improve heat exchange performance without generating shear rates that promote thrombus formation.