Reduced model aided fluid-structure interaction design framework for shunt systems.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Computational Fluid Dynamics
• Medical Device Design

Background:

• Traditional clinical device development is slow and costly.
• Computational models offer rapid testing and design space exploration.
• Fluid-structure interactions (FSIs) are crucial in biological systems, impacting medical devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a computational FSI pipeline using 2D reduced order models to guide 3D shunt design.
• To address hydrocephalus shunt occlusion caused by Choroid Plexus (ChP) tissue blockage.
• To develop a novel method for comparing catheter designs by simulating ChP deformation.

Main Methods:

• A modular, partitioned computational FSI pipeline was developed.
• 2D reduced order models were used for parameter sweeps to guide 3D design.
• An idealized FSI model simulated ChP deformation under cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow.

Main Results:

• The 2D model successfully motivated a new, improved catheter design.
• The new design was confirmed as an improvement in the full 3D model.
• This framework is the first to incorporate ChP deformation for catheter design discrimination.

Conclusions:

• Reduced order modeling is effective for guiding complex 3D designs.
• The developed FSI pipeline accelerates the design and improves the performance of hydrocephalus shunts.
• This approach offers a more efficient method for medical device optimization.