Atrioventricular blood flow simulation based on patient-specific data

Abstract

We propose a new framework for simulating blood flow inside the heart, usable with geometric models of the heart from patient-specific data. The method is geared toward realistic simulation of blood flow, taking into account not only heart wall motion but also valve motion. The simulator uses finite differences to discretize a domain that includes a functional model of the left ventricle and the left atrium of the heart. Navier-Stokes equations are robustly solved throughout the simulation domain, such that one-way momentum transfer between the heart model and the blood is enforced. The valve motion was timed to correspond to valve motions obtained from MRI. The final simulation results are qualitatively consistent to those from MR phase contrast velocity mapping, including high-velocity flow to the aorta during systole and toroidal vortex formation past the mitral valve during diastole. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.