Visualisering av funktionell och morfologisk hjärt-kärl-diagnostik

CTMH Speed Dating, Oct 29th, 2010
Finite Element Modeling of the Human Heart
In our project we apply numerical methods to simulate the blood flow in the heart. Based on the model we
apply changes on the geometry to gain a better understanding of the effects on the fluid. Our goal is that the
model might answer clinical hypothesis and we can study diseases and its treatment based on computational
simulations. An important part of the study is to verify the model against medical data.
1 Short description of the current model
The current model consists of the left ventricle
of the heart (LV). The geometry is based on ultrasound
measurements of the position of the inner
wall of the LV at different time points during
the cardiac cycle. We build a three dimensional
mesh of tethrahedrons at the initial time
and use a mesh smoothing algorithm to deform
the mesh so that it fits the dynamic surface geometry.
Finally, an adaptive ALE space-time finite
element solver based on continuous piecewise
linear elements in space and time together with
streamline diffusion stabilization is used to simulate
the blood flow by solving the incompressible
Navier-Stokes equations. Pressure boundary
conditions are prescribed to model inflow from
the mitral valve and outflow through the aortic
valve.
2 Joint Activities
Figure 1: Velocity in the left ventricle
Finite Element Modeling of the Human Heart is a
project promoted by the Computational Technology
Labratory (CTL) at KTH. CTL was created in 2008
with the aim to unify fundamental research on mathematics and computation with applications of high interest
in science, industry and biomedicine, motivated and inspired by interaction with industry and society. The core
of our research is computational mathematical modeling (simulation) with differential equations and adaptive
finite element methods, with implementation of the computational technology in the open source project FEniCS.
Our project started in collaboration with a group working at Ume˚a University (Mats Larsson et al.) which
provided us with the geometry of the heart. We are also in contact with Tino Ebbers who is working with
medical imaging at LiU.
Another collaboration is our joint activity in the KTH-founded SimVisInt project where we have begun to build
a platform with research groups in haptic and visualization. In this way interactive simulations of the heart are
gained which give feedback on auditory, haptic as well as visual information.
To secure, develop and make our model applicable the discussions, dialogue, feedbacks and inputs from physicians
are of high importance. We are in contact with medical researchers and clinical doctors from the Ume˚a
University and Karolinska Institutet.