Generation of personalized synthetic 3-dimensional inlet velocity profiles for computational fluid dynamics simulations of type B aortic dissection
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Wang, Kaihong
Armour, Chlӧe H
Hanna, Lydia
Gibbs, Richard
Xu, Xiao Yun
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Background
Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations have shown promise in assessing type B aortic dissection (TBAD) to predict disease progression, and inlet velocity profiles (IVPs) are essential for such simulations. To truly capture patient-specific hemodynamic features, 3D IVPs extracted from 4D-flow magnetic resonance imaging (4D MRI) should be used, but 4D MRI is not commonly available.
Method
A new workflow was devised to generate personalized synthetic 3D IVPs that can replace 4D MRI-derived IVPs in CFD simulations. Based on 3D IVPs extracted from 4D MRI of 33 TBAD patients, statistical shape modelling and principal component analysis were performed to generate 270 synthetic 3D IVPs accounting for specific flow features. The synthetic 3D IVPs were then scaled and fine-tuned to match patient-specific stroke volume and systole-to-diastole ratio. The performance of personalized synthetic IVPs in CFD simulations was evaluated against patient-specific IVPs and compared with parabolic and flat IVPs.
Results
Our results showed that the synthetic 3D IVP was sufficient for faithful reproduction of hemodynamics throughout the aorta. In the ascending aorta (AAo), where non-patient-specific IVPs failed to replicate in vivo flow features in previous studies, the personalized synthetic IVP was able to match not only the flow pattern but also time-averaged wall shear stress (TAWSS), with a mean TAWSS difference of 5.9 %, which was up to 36.5 % by idealized IVPs. Additionally, the predicted retrograde flow index in both the AAo (8.36 %) and descending aorta (8.17 %) matched closely the results obtained with the 4D MRI-derived IVP (7.36 % and 6.55 %). The maximum false lumen pressure difference was reduced to 11.6 % from 68.8 % by the parabolic IVP and 72.6 % by the flat IVP.
Conclusion
This study demonstrates the superiority of personalized synthetic 3D IVPs over commonly adopted parabolic or flat IVPs and offers a viable alternative to 4D MRI-derived IVP for CFD simulations of TBAD.
Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations have shown promise in assessing type B aortic dissection (TBAD) to predict disease progression, and inlet velocity profiles (IVPs) are essential for such simulations. To truly capture patient-specific hemodynamic features, 3D IVPs extracted from 4D-flow magnetic resonance imaging (4D MRI) should be used, but 4D MRI is not commonly available.
Method
A new workflow was devised to generate personalized synthetic 3D IVPs that can replace 4D MRI-derived IVPs in CFD simulations. Based on 3D IVPs extracted from 4D MRI of 33 TBAD patients, statistical shape modelling and principal component analysis were performed to generate 270 synthetic 3D IVPs accounting for specific flow features. The synthetic 3D IVPs were then scaled and fine-tuned to match patient-specific stroke volume and systole-to-diastole ratio. The performance of personalized synthetic IVPs in CFD simulations was evaluated against patient-specific IVPs and compared with parabolic and flat IVPs.
Results
Our results showed that the synthetic 3D IVP was sufficient for faithful reproduction of hemodynamics throughout the aorta. In the ascending aorta (AAo), where non-patient-specific IVPs failed to replicate in vivo flow features in previous studies, the personalized synthetic IVP was able to match not only the flow pattern but also time-averaged wall shear stress (TAWSS), with a mean TAWSS difference of 5.9 %, which was up to 36.5 % by idealized IVPs. Additionally, the predicted retrograde flow index in both the AAo (8.36 %) and descending aorta (8.17 %) matched closely the results obtained with the 4D MRI-derived IVP (7.36 % and 6.55 %). The maximum false lumen pressure difference was reduced to 11.6 % from 68.8 % by the parabolic IVP and 72.6 % by the flat IVP.
Conclusion
This study demonstrates the superiority of personalized synthetic 3D IVPs over commonly adopted parabolic or flat IVPs and offers a viable alternative to 4D MRI-derived IVP for CFD simulations of TBAD.
Date Issued
2025-06-01
Date Acceptance
2025-04-04
Citation
Computers in Biology and Medicine, 2025, 191
ISSN
0010-4825
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Journal / Book Title
Computers in Biology and Medicine
Volume
191
Copyright Statement
© 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
License URL
Identifier
10.1016/j.compbiomed.2025.110158
Publication Status
Published
Article Number
110158
Date Publish Online
2025-04-10