Abstract
A CFD study of intraventricular flow during early diastole is carried out to investigate the effects of a transmitral velocity profile on a flow structure in the left ventricle (LV). It is found that a transmitral flow with the maximum velocity locating at the center of mitral orifice creates a vortex ring about a mainflow heading to the ventricular apex along the long-axis of the LV. Although the vortex ring is generated in the case of a transmitral flow with a flat mitral velocity profile, this vortex ring is different in size and location from the one obtained by a transmitral flow with the maximum velocity locating at the center of mitral orifice. It is therefore considered that a velocity profile of a transmitral flow plays an important role to characterize the flow structure in the LV.
