Numerical simulation of cardiac shock wave therapy for coronary artery disease

Coronary artery disease is a heart disease caused by atherosclerotic lesions in the intima of the coronary arteries. Its main treatments include medical drugs, invasive percutaneous coronary intervention, and coronary artery bypass grafting, which still carry the risk of postoperative vascular restenosis. The cardiac shockwave system for treating calcified plaque in coronary artery disease has the advantages of being non-invasive and allowing repeated treatment, which has attracted attention. In this study, a numerical simulation model for cardiac shockwave therapy for coronary heart disease is established using CT images of the cardiac portion of coronary calcification in volunteers. The formation of the sound field and temperature field is numerically simulated based on the homogeneous Helmholtz acoustic wave equation and the Pennes bio-heat conduction equation. The results show that a triangular shock wave with both positive and negative pressure is formed at a frequency of 0.6 MHz, with the maximum positive pressure occurring at a specific point. As the input sound pressure increases, the maximum sound pressure at the focal point increases, while its position remains unchanged. The focal sound pressure, temperature rise, and position vary among the 8 volunteers under the same treatment conditions. Moreover, the patient's vital signs influence the formation of the focal sound pressure, focal position, and temperature difference.