Visualization of CFD Results in a Virtual Reality Environment

Imaging modalities such as computed tomography, 3D ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) facilitate detailed viewing of vascular geometries [1], but lack the ability to directly measure important hemodynamic parameters associated with the onset and progression of cardiovascular disease (i.e. pressure, wall shear stress) [2]. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a noninvasive tool to quantify these indices in vessels reconstructed from imaging data. Although image-based CFD can be used to relate altered hemodynamics to vascular disease, a disjunction exists between information gathered from 4-D CFD (3 spatial dimensions and time) and the 2-D screens where results are typically displayed. In contrast, 3D virtual reality environments can be used to visualize CFD results in a comprehensive manner.