IntroductionPulmonary artery (PA) cannulation is emerging as a method for concurrent cardiac and respiratory failure, but limited data exists on how cannula positioning, particularly cannula tip angle Show more
IntroductionPulmonary artery (PA) cannulation is emerging as a method for concurrent cardiac and respiratory failure, but limited data exists on how cannula positioning, particularly cannula tip angle, affects perfusion symmetry. Due to varying pulmonary bifurcation geometry between patients, ensuring even distribution of oxygen-saturated blood becomes critical. This computational fluid dynamics (CFD) study investigated the effects of cannula positioning and angles on oxygen delivery within the PA using 6 different configurations.MethodAn idealized PA geometry based on a CT scan was constructed including the 6 different cannula configurations: two straight (short and long) and four angled (5° and 10° toward either pulmonary branch). Simulations assumed laminar, steady-state flow at 6 L/min total (50% ECMO contribution). Oxygen transport was modeled as a passive scalar with 75% saturation from the heart and 100% from the cannula. Perfusion symmetry was quantified using the absolute difference in mean oxygen saturation (ΔSaO Show less