Communications of the ACM
Supercomputer Simulates Whole-Body Blood Flow
Researchers at Duke University have developed a number supercomputer simulation of the flow of blood throughout the human body.
Credit: Randles Lab/Duke University
A new supercomputer simulation of the circulation of blood throughout the entire human body correlates very closely with real-world flow measurements, according to Duke University researchers.
The "Harvey" software employs a three-dimensional (3D) model of every artery that is 1-mm across or wider, compiled from full-body computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans of a single individual. The modeling itself runs on a supercomputer at California's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
"If we have [a full-body scan], then we can extract the arterial network," says Duke researcher Amanda Randles. "We get a surface mesh representing the vessel geometry, then we decide what's a fluid node and what's a wall node, and then model fluid flow through there."
A goal of the project is to evaluate how different interventions in cardiovascular disease might impact the system to a broader degree. "We'll be able to change the mesh file, representing the vasculature, to represent different treatment options," Randles reports.
To verify Harvey's real-world blood-flow accuracy, the researchers 3D-printed a plastic version of the scanned aorta, and pumped fluid through it while tracking its flow.
From BBC News
View Full Article
Abstracts Copyright © 2016 Information Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, USA
No entries found