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In Vitro Model of Physiological and Pathological Blood Flow with Application to Investigations of Vascular Cell Remodeling
Published on: November 3, 2015
Modeling and Optimal Input Design for Infra-Hepatic Blood Flow Regulation Systems
Yuxuan Huang1, Zheng Zhang2, Yi Duan2
1Department of Automation, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
Bioengineering (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 28, 2026
Summary
Infra-hepatic inferior vena cava (IVC) balloon occlusion effectively reduces bleeding in liver surgery. This study developed a computational model to optimize balloon inflation, significantly reducing downstream pressure spikes for improved patient safety.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Fluid Dynamics
- Surgical Technology
Background:
- Infra-hepatic inferior vena cava (IVC) balloon occlusion is vital for minimizing blood loss during liver surgery.
- Current methods lack quantitative measures to balance occlusion effectiveness with downstream pressure safety.
- Rapid balloon inflation can cause unpredictable pressure surges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a quantitative framework for optimizing IVC balloon occlusion.
- To reduce downstream venous pressure deviations during liver surgery.
- To enhance the safety and efficacy of IVC balloon occlusion devices.
Main Methods:
- A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model with fluid-structure interaction (FSI) was created for the balloon-occluded IVC.
- Carreau-Yasuda blood rheology and an Ogden hyperelastic balloon model were incorporated.
- Reduced-order ARX models and a model predictive control (MPC) strategy were used to manage pressure.
Main Results:
- The CFD model accurately simulated blood flow and pressure dynamics.
- The MPC strategy significantly reduced downstream pressure overshoot from 45.82% to 6.05%.
- Over 90% flow occlusion was maintained with the optimized inflation strategy.
Conclusions:
- The developed framework provides a quantitative basis for designing safer IVC balloon occlusion devices.
- This approach minimizes harmful downstream pressure variations during liver surgery.
- Further validation through benchtop, ex vivo, and in vivo studies is warranted.
