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Lagrangian analysis of turbulent blood flow in the human left heart

Fabio Guglietta1,2,*, Martino Andrea Scarpolini3,2, Francesco Viola3,4, and Luca Biferale1,2

  • *Contact author: fabio.guglietta@roma2.infn.it
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Phys. Rev. Fluids 11, 064604 – Published 4 June, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/d56r-y1lm

Abstract

We present a Lagrangian analysis of turbulent blood flow in the human left heart using high-fidelity simulations based on a patient-specific anatomical model. Leveraging a fully coupled fluid-structure-electrophysiology interaction framework, we track the motion of Lagrangian (passive) tracers to investigate the multiscale statistical properties of velocity fluctuations over more than 4 orders of magnitude. Our analysis reveals strong Lagrangian intermittency throughout the left heart, reflecting the complex and unsteady nature of cardiovascular flow. The present work underscores the sensitivity of Lagrangian statistics to physiological parameters and highlights their potential for improving the understanding of pathological flow conditions in cardiovascular systems. Such Lagrangian tool provides a statistical foundation for modeling shear-induced damage in red blood cells (hemolysis), with implications for the evaluation of prosthetic valves and blood-contacting medical devices.

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Phys. Rev. Fluids 11, 064604– Published 4 June, 2026
  • Received 12 June 2025
  • Accepted 17 April 2026
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

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