Accuracy of Ultrasonic-Measurement-Integrated Simulation for Three-Dimensional Blood Flow in Aneurysmal Aorta

Abstract

The Ultrasonic-Measurement-Integrated (UMI) simulation, in which feedback signals proportional to the optimal estimation of the difference in velocity vector against real blood flow obtained by Doppler velocities are applied at grid points in the feedback domain, has been developed to reproduce complicated hemodynamics. This paper evaluates UMI simulation for three-dimensional unsteady blood flow in aneurysmal aorta. We performed a numerical experiment of UMI simulation with an unsteady standard solution of the three-dimensional blood flow in an aneurysmal aorta with a realistic boundary condition. The UMI simulation was performed with an inaccurate boundary condition and various feedback arrangements assuming the acquisition of Doppler velocities in the aneurysmal domain or feedback domain. The application of feedback made the computational result approach to the standard solution, so that UMI simulation estimated the hemodynamic stresses more correctly than the ordinary simulation. Hence, UMI simulation of real blood flows will bring significant benefits for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of circulatory diseases.