Numerical validation of MR-measurement-integrated simulation of blood flow in a cerebral aneurysm

This study proposes magnetic resonance (MR)-measurement-integrated (MR-MI) simulation, in which the difference between the computed velocity field and the phase-contrast MRI measurement data is fed back to the numerical simulation. The computational accuracy and the fundamental characteristics, such as steady characteristics and transient characteristics, of the MR-MI simulation were investigated by a numerical experiment. We dealt with reproduction of three-dimensional steady and unsteady blood flow fields in a realistic cerebral aneurysm developed at a bifurcation. The MR-MI simulation reduced the error derived from the incorrect boundary conditions in the blood flow in the cerebral aneurysm. For the reproduction of steady and unsteady standard solutions, the error of velocity decreased to 13% and to 22% in one cardiac cycle, respectively, compared with the ordinary simulation without feedback. Moreover, the application of feedback shortened the computational convergence, and thus the convergent solution and periodic solution were obtained within less computational time in the MR-MI simulation than that in the ordinary simulation. The dividing flow ratio toward the two outlets after bifurcation was well estimated owing to the improvement of computational accuracy. Furthermore, the MR-MI simulation yielded wall shear stress distribution on the cerebral aneurysm of the standard solution accurately and in detail.