An automated multiscale ensemble simulation approach for vascular blood flow

TL;DR

This paper introduces an automated multiscale ensemble simulation method combining 1D and 3D models to analyze cerebrovascular blood flow, aiding in understanding aneurysm risks.

Contribution

The novel approach automatically couples 1D and 3D simulations for patient-specific cerebrovascular flow modeling across various regimes.

Findings

Enables detailed modeling of blood flow in cerebral arteries.

Facilitates investigation of flow properties related to aneurysm risk.

Supports fine-tuning of cerebrovascular flow simulations.

Abstract

Cerebrovascular diseases such as brain aneurysms are a primary cause of adult disability. The flow dynamics in brain arteries, both during periods of rest and increased activity, are known to be a major factor in the risk of aneurysm formation and rupture. The precise relation is however still an open field of investigation. We present an automated ensemble simulation method for modelling cerebrovascular blood flow under a range of flow regimes. By automatically constructing and performing an ensemble of multiscale simulations, where we unidirectionally couple a 1D solver with a 3D lattice-Boltzmann code, we are able to model the blood flow in a patient artery over a range of flow regimes. We apply the method to a model of a middle cerebral artery, and find that this approach helps us to fine-tune our modelling techniques, and opens up new ways to investigate cerebrovascular flow properties.