Abstract
Transarterial embolization is a minimally invasive treatment for advanced liver cancer using microspheres loaded with a chemotherapeutic drug or radioactive yttrium-90 (90Y) that are injected into the hepatic arterial tree through a catheter. For personalized treatment, the microsphere distribution in the liver should be optimized through the injection volume and location. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of the blood flow in the hepatic artery can help estimate this distribution if carefully parameterized. An important aspect is the choice of the boundary conditions imposed at the inlet and outlets of the computational domain. In this study, the effect of boundary conditions on the hepatic arterial tree hemodynamics was investigated. The outlet boundary conditions were modeled with three-element Windkessel circuits, representative of the downstream vasculature resistance. Results demonstrated that the downstream vasculature resistance affected the hepatic artery hemodynamics such as the velocity field, the pressure field and the blood flow streamline trajectories. Moreover, the number of microspheres received by the tumor significantly changed (more than 10% of the total injected microspheres) with downstream resistance variations. These findings suggest that patient-specific boundary conditions should be used in order to achieve a more accurate drug distribution estimation with CFD in transarterial embolization treatment planning.
Highlights
Transarterial embolization is an interventional radiology procedure that has been increasingly used for unresectable liver cancer treatment [1]
The effect of boundary conditions on the lower-dimensional models (e.g., 0D and 1D model) of the hepatic artery has been discussed in the literature [6,7], it has not been quantitatively investigated for 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation of the hepatic arterial tree hemodynamics
We investigated the effect of the downstream resistance variations of S7 on the hepatic arterial tree hemodynamics
Summary
Transarterial embolization is an interventional radiology procedure that has been increasingly used for unresectable liver cancer treatment [1]. Simulation of the blood flow behavior inside the hepatic arterial tree can help predict the microsphere trajectories and their distribution between different liver segments Using these predictions, the injection location and volume can be optimized before the treatment to maximize the tumor targeting. The CFD simulation results are affected by different factors that need to be carefully studied Among these parameters, the boundary conditions imposed on the computational domain play an important role [5]. Three-dimensional CFD simulation provides fine details of the flow internally within the 3D domain It can show how boundary condition variations change the local field parameters such as velocity field and flow streamlines inside the hepatic arterial tree
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
