PIV and CFD studies on analyzing intragastric flow phenomena induced by peristalsis using a human gastric flow simulator

Abstract

This study quantitatively analyzed the flow phenomena in model gastric contents induced by peristalsis using a human gastric flow simulator (GFS). Major functions of the GFS include gastric peristalsis simulation by controlled deformation of rubber walls and direct observation of inner flow through parallel transparent windows. For liquid gastric contents (water and starch syrup solutions), retropulsive flow against the direction of peristalsis was observed using both particle image velocimetry (PIV) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The maximum flow velocity was obtained in the region occluded by peristalsis. The maximum value was 9 mm s⁻¹ when the standard value of peristalsis speed in healthy adults (U_ACW = 2.5 mm s⁻¹) was applied. The intragastric flow-field was laminar with the maximum Reynolds number (Re = 125). The viscosity of liquid gastric contents hardly affected the maximum flow velocity in the applied range of this study (1 to 100 mPa s). These PIV results agreed well with the CFD results. The maximum shear rate in the liquid gastric contents was below 20 s⁻¹ at U_ACW = 2.5 mm s⁻¹. We also measured the flow-field in solid–liquid gastric contents containing model solid food particles (plastic beads). The direction of velocity vectors was influenced by the presence of the model solid food particle surface. The maximum flow velocity near the model solid food particles ranged from 8 to 10 mm s⁻¹ at U_ACW = 2.5 mm s⁻¹. The maximum shear rate around the model solid food particles was low, with a value of up to 20 s⁻¹.