Following the Flow in Chambers

This article summarizes the current progress in imaging the sequence of blood flow inside the cardiac chambers. Observations from experimental models and computational fluid dynamics have been compared with in vivo findings from phase contrast MRI, high-resolution Doppler imaging, and echo particle imaging velocimetry. The discussion includes chamber and valve geometry and its role in asymmetric flow propagation with an emphasis on the cardiac mechanical sequence that helps stabilize the redirected blood streams. Mapping intracardiac flow patterns in health and disease provides a rich and challenging field of research that warrants careful application in future investigations.