Figure 1
From: The shape of the healthy heart is optimized for vortex ring formation
Possible anatomical arrangements for intracardiac vortex ring generation. A, Vortex rings are formed by the mitral orifice. A large left ventricle can accommodate the full size of the vortex ring it generates, but large ventricles have high wall tension which causes energy waste. B, If the chamber is too small it cannot accommodate full vortex ring formation, and is therefore incompatible with efficient filling. C, An optimized left ventricle enables energy-efficient filling by matching endocardial expansion to vortex ring formation and expansion, and maintains low wall tension.