Hemodynamic evaluation of aortic aneurysms using FSI simulations

Abstract

The work focuses on understanding aortic blood flow dynamics and emphasize the importance of considering the flexible aortic wall model in assessing cardiovascular health and identifying potential risk factors for aneurysm and related conditions. In this paper, a fluidstructure interaction (FSI) study of vascular blood flow based on the partitioned approach using open-source software tools, OpenFOAM for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and CalculiX for Computational Structural Mechanics (CSM), coupled through the preCICE tool is presented. The FSI simulations were performed on raw and simplified (based on area of interest) patient-specific models of aneurysmatic blood vessels, considering Newtonian fluid and laminar flow assumptions. The arterial wall was modeled using the CalculiX’s isotropic linear elastic model and the communication of data is handled by preCICE. The biomedical metrics such as the Time-Averaged Wall Shear Stress (TAWSS) and the Oscillatory Shear Index (OSI) in correlation with cardiac cycles were quantified to predict rupture prone regions.

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