Recent advances in computational methodology for simulation of mechanical circulatory assist devices

Abstract

Ventricular assist devices (VADs) provide mechanical circulatory support to offload the work of one or both ventricles during heart failure. They are used in the clinical setting as destination therapy, as bridge to transplant, or more recently as bridge to recovery to allow for myocardial remodeling. Recent developments in computational simulation allow for detailed assessment of VAD hemodynamics for device design and optimization for both children and adults. Here, we provide a focused review of the recent literature on finite element methods and optimization for VAD simulations. As VAD designs typically fall into two categories, pulsatile and continuous flow devices, we separately address computational challenges of both types of designs, and the interaction with the circulatory system with three representative case studies. In particular, we focus on recent advancements in finite element methodology that has increased the fidelity of VAD simulations. We outline key challenges, which extend to the incorporation of biological response such as thrombosis and hemolysis, as well as shape optimization methods and challenges in computational methodology.

Investigation on Mechanical and Bio-Mechanical Performance of a Centrifugal Blood Pump

“…One of these bio-mechanical factors is hemolysis, which is the release of hemoglobin from the red blood cells into the plasma. Hemolysis is also important due to the fact that high level of free hemoglobin is a toxin for the kidneys and can lead to organ failure [1]. During a blood pump operation, the main reason for the hemolysis is the shear stress generated by rotation of the rotating parts [2,3].…”

The Influence of Different Operating Conditions on the Blood Damage of a Pulsatile Ventricular Assist Device

“…Increased levels of free red blood cell constituents together with an exhaust of their scavengers result in a variety of serious clinical sequelae, such as increased systemic and pulmonary vascular resistance, altered coagulation profile, platelet dysfunction, renal tubular damage, and multiple organ failure. [8][9][10] Thrombosis can lead to cerebral microembolization and neurological events, heart attacks, and impairment of kidney and liver function. 11 In clinic applications, the VADs usually work at off-design conditions, which deteriorates the adverse events associated with VAD blood damage.…”

The fully-implicit log-conformation formulation and its application to three-dimensional flows

“…An example of a closed curve Γ fulfilling the aforementioned criteria is depicted in Fig. 1, where 1 Throughout this paper we deliberately use the same symbol for the Banach algebra as for its complexification. 4 the fact is also used that the spectrum of Ψ is always contained in the interval [−||Ψ|| H , ||Ψ|| H ].…”