Senol Piskin, Erke Arıbas, M. Serdar Çelebi

Istanbul Technical University, Informatics Institute

at MpCCI UF 2009

In this study, a biomechanical simulation model for human carotid artery bifurcation is proposed. A carotid artery bifurcation model with common, internal and external carotid arteries is used to obtain a three dimensional (3D) solid geometric model. Inside and wall of the carotid artery geometry are modeled as fluid and structural domains respectively. Steady and unsteady fluid flows are simulated for the resulting fluid-structure interaction (FSI) model of the carotid artery bifurcation. For the fluid simulation, Newtonian Navier-Stokes (NS) equations are employed and blood is assumed as viscous fluid with constant density. Time dependent periodic velocity profile is given as the inlet for unsteady state flow simulation and the simulation is performed for ten cardiac cycles to obtain a convergence between cycles. Linear elastic material properties are implemented in the structural code to model the carotid artery wall. Pressure values of the fluid on the wall of the artery and the displacement values of the artery wall exchanged between fluid and structure codes. Following the exchange of the data, dynamic mesh capability of the fluid code is used so that the grid of the fluid domain is regenerated. Preliminary results of the study are given and discussed.