A heterogeneous model of endovascular devices for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms. (4th January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Berod, Alain; Chnafa, Christophe; Mendez, Simon; Nicoud, Franck
• Is Part Of: International journal for numerical methods in biomedical engineering. Volume 38:Number 2(2022)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2022-01-04
• Subjects: computational fluid dynamics -- drag model -- endovascular treatment -- flow‐diverter -- heterogeneous modelling -- immersed boundary method -- intracranial aneurysm; Biomedical engineering -- Periodicals; Imaging systems in medicine -- Periodicals; Numerical analysis -- Periodicals; Engineering mathematics -- Periodicals; 610.28
• DOI: 10.1002/cnm.3552
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2040-7939

Abstract

Abstract: Numerical computations of hemodynamics inside intracranial aneurysms treated by endovascular braided devices such as flow‐diverters contribute to understanding and improving such treatment procedures. Nevertheless, these simulations yield high computational and meshing costs due to the heterogeneity of length scales between the dense weave of the fine struts of the device and the arterial volume. Homogeneous strategies developed over the last decade to circumvent this issue substitute local dissipations due to the wires with a global effect in the form of a pressure‐drop across the device surface. However, these methods cannot accurately reproduce the flow‐patterns encountered near the struts, the latter strongly dictating the intra‐saccular flow environment. In this work, a versatile theoretical framework which aims at correctly reproducing the local flow heterogeneities due to the wires while keeping memory consumption, meshing and computational times as low as possible is introduced. This model reproduces the drag forces exerted by the device struts onto the fluid, thus producing local and heterogeneous effects on the flow. Extensive validation for various flow and geometric configurations using an idealized device is performed. To further illustrate the method capabilities, a real patient‐specific aneurysm endovascularly treated with a flow‐diverter is used, enabling quantitative comparisons with classical approaches for both intra‐saccular velocities and computational costs reduction. The proposed heterogeneous model endeavors to bridge the gap between computational fluid dynamics and clinical applications and ushers in a new era of numerical treatment planning with minimally costing computational tools. Abstract : Increasing the fidelity of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) computations for endovascularly treated aneurysms is primordial to correctly predict occlusion rates. To this end, a numerical model that reproduces local flow heterogeneities due to the struts at the aneurysm neck is introduced and validated. Demonstrating drastic reductions of both memory usage and CPU time with a correct comparison with the classical conformal approach, this model is intended to bridge the gap between CFD and both treatment planning and design of new devices via numerical experiments.