SUMMARYAn octree-based mesh generation method is proposed to create reasonable-quality, geometry-adapted unstructured hexahedral meshes automatically from triangulated surface models without any sharp geometrical features. A new, easy-to-implement, easy-to-understand set of refinement templates is developed to perform local mesh refinement efficiently even for concave refinement domains without creating hanging nodes. A buffer layer is inserted on an octree core mesh to improve the mesh quality significantly. Laplacian-like smoothing, angle-based smoothing and local optimization-based untangling methods are used with certain restrictions to further improve the mesh quality. Several examples are shown to demonstrate the capability of our hexahedral mesh generation method for complex geometries.

Virtual interactive presence and augmented reality provide a novel platform for remote surgical assistance, with multiple applications in surgical training and remote expert assistance.

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Shankuan Zhu and colleagues use computer crash simulations, as well as real-world data, to evaluate whether driver obesity is associated with greater risk of body injury in motor vehicle crashes.

The influence of wall motion on the hemodynamic characteristics of the human femoral bifurcation and its effects on the development of peripheral artery disease has not been previously investigated. This study aimed in investigating the hemodynamics of a compliant patient-specific femoral artery bifurcation model by a fluid structure interaction (FSI) scheme. The complex physiological geometry of the femoral artery bifurcation was reproduced from sequentially obtained transverse CT scan images. Velocity waveforms derived from phase contrast MR images were extracted and mapped to define boundary conditions. Equations governing blood flow and wall motion were solved using an FSI framework that utilizes commercial codes: FLUENT for computational fluid dynamics and ANSYS for computational structural dynamics. The results showed that wall compliance decreased flow velocities at the relatively high curvature geometries including common and superficial femoral artery (SFA), and it created strong recirculation in the profunda femoris artery close to the bifurcation. In the SFA region near the apex, time averaged wall shear stress (TAWSS) differences up to 25% between compliant and rigid models were observed. The compliant model also exhibited lower TAWSS and oscillatory shear at the superior section of the common femoral artery close to the bifurcation. The presence of wall motion, however, created minor differences in the general flow-field characteristics. We conclude that wall motion does not have significant influence on the global fluid dynamic characteristics of the femoral artery bifurcation. Longer arterial segments need to be simulated to see the effect of wall motion on tortuousity which was previously cited as an important factor in the development of atherosclerosis at the femoral artery.