Computational Haemodynamics—An Introduction - Computational Hemodynamics: Theory, Modelling and Applications - page 3

1.2 Advantages of CHD

CHD is an emerging field for virtual surgical planning, clinical assessment of vas-
cular diseases and the development of medical devices. The exponential growth in
computing power, advancements in technology, and materialisation of interdisci-
plinary research has seen CFD emerge within the last few decades as a practical tool
in modern engineering practice. As such, CHD benefits medical experts in provid-
ing support for their diagnosis and clinical treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
Computational modelling is also becoming a staple in research and develop-
ment (R&D) in practical engineering and product design. The computational results
complement experimental and analytical approaches by providing a cost-effective
alternative to simulate realistic fluid flows. For example, the visualisation capabili-
ties are highly detailed which can provide vector, contour, and flow streamline plots
that describe the physics. Furthermore CHD is a tool that offers the ability to solve
a range of complicated flow problems where analytical approaches do not exist.
Finally, another major advantage of CHD is the ability to simulate biofluid flows
that are not reproducible in experiments. This is significant in the medical and phar-
maceutical fields where invasive methods dealing with human subjects are difficult
to undertake. For example, evaluation of performance for medical devices such as
heart stent and heart pump. The analysis of cardiac diseases such as atherosclerosis
(Fig. 1.2 ), can also be simulated using CHD, which is indeed much safer and easier
to perform than experimenting on a live human subject.
Nevertheless, the suggestion here is that CHD will not replace experimental test-
ing but rather, it will serve as a viable alternative that complements experimental
methods. Newly developed models still rely on experimental data as validation for
such topics as cardiovascular flows including flow in atherosclerotic arteries and
aneurysm, heart stent and ventricular assist devices, and Low-density Lipoprotein

Fig. 1.2 Streamline visualisation in virtual stenting and simulation treatment for diseased artery,
as well as haemodynamics modeling of stenosed carotid arteries