Computational modeling of the fluid flow in type B aortic dissection using a modified finite element embedded formulation

Abstract

This work explores the use of an embedded Computational Fluid Dynamics method to study the type B Aortic Dissection. The use of the proposed technique makes it possible to easily test different Intimal Flap configurations without any need of remeshing. To validate the presented methodology we take as reference test case an in vitro experiment present in the literature. This experiment, which considers several Intimal Flap tear configurations (number, size and location), mimics the blood flow in a real type B Aortic Dissection. We prove the correctness and suitability of the presented approach by comparing the pressure values and waveform. The obtained results exhibit a remarkable similarity with the experimental reference data.Complementary, we present a feasible surgical application of the presented computer method. The aim is to help the clinicians in the decision-making before the type B Aortic Dissection surgical fenestration. The capabilities of the proposed technique are exploited to efficiently create artificial re-entry tear configurations . We highlight that only the radius and center of the re-entry tear need to be specified by the clinicians, without any need to modify neither the model geometry nor the mesh.The obtained computational surgical fenestration results are in line with the medical observations in similar clinical studies.

An embedded Finite Element framework for the resolution of strongly coupled Fluid–Structure Interaction problems. Application to volumetric and membrane-like structures

“…More details on the implementation, convergence and accuracy analysis of the discontinuous Nitsche Navier-slip imposition can be found in [46]. This approach is also validated with data from biomedical in vitro experiments in [8].…”

“…Some examples are the flapping of insects wings [3], the hydrodynamics of fish fins [3] or the motion of jellyfish [4]. In the biomedical field, we can find some successful applications in [5], [6], [7] and [8], which study the blood flow in human vessels. Similarly, FSI numerical methods are applied in [9], [10] and [11] to study the movement of the hearth valves or, more recently, in [12] to study the human cell motion.…”

A discontinuous Nitsche‐based finite element formulation for the imposition of the Navier‐slip condition over embedded volumeless geometries

“…The first one is to couple the proposed methodology with an structural mechanics solver to build an FSI framework for the analysis of highly flexible membrane and shell structures. 50 Another interesting application is the modeling of the fluid flow around thin biological tissues 3 or cardiac valves 32,66 . There is also room for theoretical advances.…”

“…These range from civil engineering, for example for the simulation of structures under the action of severe or dynamic wind loads, 1 to biomedical where CFD is used for the investigation of cardiovascular diseases. 2,3 In this work, we target the simulation of general incompressible viscous flows as the ones that can be found in these, or similar, applications. Although this objective can be achieved by using alternative approaches, such as the finite volume method 4,5 or the particle finite element method, 6 we focus on fixed grid (Eulerian) finite element method (FEM).…”

“…During the last decades, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has become an essential tool in multiple engineering disciplines. These range from civil engineering, for example for the simulation of structures under the action of severe or dynamic wind loads, 1 to biomedical where CFD is used for the investigation of cardiovascular diseases 2,3 . In this work, we target the simulation of general incompressible viscous flows as the ones that can be found in these, or similar, applications.…”