Impact of side-hole geometry on the performance of hemodialysis catheter tips: A computational fluid dynamics assessment.

ABSTRACT: Hemodialysis catheters are used to support blood filtration, yet there are multiple fundamentally different approaches to catheter tip design with no clear optimal solution. Side-holes have been shown to increase flow rates and decrease recirculation but have been associated with clotting/increased infection rates. This study investigates the impact of changing the shape, size and number of side-holes on a simple symmetric tip catheter by evaluating the velocity, shear stress and shear rate of inflowing blood. A platelet model is used to examine the residence time and shear history of inflowing platelets. The results show that side-holes improve the theoretical performance of the catheters, reducing the maximum velocity and shear stress occurring at the tip compared to non-side-hole cathet

SUBMITTER: Owen DG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7413473 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature