Mesh development for a finite element model of the carotid artery

A technique for developing a structured, hexahedral and quadrilateral mesh for use in finite element analyses of the carotid artery is presented. The model is reconstructed from 270 Computed Tomography (CT) images (slice thickness 0.625mm) of a 57 year old male subject and extends from the arch of the aorta to the base of the jaw. The structured mesh was generated using an unstructured, automatically generated tetrahedral mesh of the intimal surface of the carotid artery and its branches. A parametric meshing software package was used to create the structured mesh, facilitating mesh density studies. The change in volume and surface area introduced when converting the mesh from tetrahedral to hexahedral elements (+1.5% change in volume, -1.4% change in surface area) is small in comparison to estimated error introduced in the segmentation process. The technique introduced will benefit finite element and fluid dynamic studies of the carotid artery investigating mechanically induced pathology at both physiologic loading rates (i.e., atherosclerotic plaque formation) and high strain rates (i.e., blunt trauma).