Numerical analysis of the VAD outflow cannula positioning on the blood flow in the patient–specific brain supplying arteries

Abstract

The primary objective of this research can be divided into two separate aspects. The first one was to verify whether own software can be treated as a viable source of data for the Computer Aided Design (CAD) modelling and Computational Fluid Dynamics CFD analysis. The second aspect was to analyze the influence of the Ventricle Assist Device (VAD) outflow cannula positioning on the blood flow distribution in the brain-supplying arteries. Patient-specific model was reconstructed basing on the DICOM image sets obtained with the angiographic Computed Tomography. The reconstruction process was performed in the custom-created software, whereas the outflow cannulas were added in the SolidWorks software. Volumetric meshes were generated in the Ansys Mesher module. The transient boundary conditions enabled simulating several full cardiac cycles. Performed investigations focused mainly on volume flow rate, shear stress and velocity distribution. It was proven that custom-created software enhances the processes of the anatomical objects reconstruction. Developed geometrical files are compatible with CAD and CFD software – they can be easily manipulated and modified. Concerning the numerical simulations, several cases with varied positioning of the VAD outflow cannula were analyzed. Obtained results revealed that the location of the VAD outflow cannula has a slight impact on the blood flow distribution among the brain supplying arteries.