Phantom-based experimental validation of computational fluid dynamics simulations on cerebral aneurysms.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Imaging
• Fluid Dynamics

Background:

• Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is increasingly used to analyze blood flow in cerebral aneurysms for clinical decision-making.
• The reliability of CFD simulations for patient-specific aneurysm hemodynamics requires thorough validation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the accuracy of CFD simulations by comparing them with experimental data from a physical aneurysm model.
• To assess the impact of input parameters on CFD simulation reliability.

Main Methods:

• A phantom aneurysm model was used to simulate blood flow.
• Virtual angiograms from CFD simulations were quantitatively compared to experimental angiograms.
• A parametric study investigated the influence of input parameters on flow patterns.

Main Results:

• CFD simulations showed good agreement with experimental flow dynamics.
• Relative root mean square errors for time intensity curves were below 15%.
• Input parameters significantly influenced simulation outcomes, highlighting measurement accuracy needs.

Conclusions:

• A robust validation method for CFD simulations of cerebral aneurysm hemodynamics was established.
• The reliability of CFD for predicting blood flow in aneurysms is confirmed.
• Parametric studies enable assessment of CFD model validity based on input parameter accuracy.