Simulation of Blood Flow in Deformable Arteries Using Subject-Specific Geometry and Variable Vessel Wall Properties

Previous efforts to simulate blood flow in patient-specific models either assumed rigid vessel walls or deformable walls with constant mechanical property [1]. We have developed a new workflow to enable blood flow and vessel dynamics simulations using subject-specific geometry and variable wall properties. The geometric model construction is based on 3D segmentation and geometric processing which greatly reduce human labor and increase the objectivity of the model. Variable wall properties are assigned to the model based on combining centerline-based and surface-based methods. This new approach was successfully applied to simulate blood flow and wall dynamics in models with abdominal, thoracic, and cerebral aneurysms.