A Proof of Concept for Computational Fluid Dynamic Analysis of the Left Atrium in Atrial Fibrillation on a Patient-Specific Basis.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with a fivefold increase in the risk of cerebrovascular events, being responsible of 15-18% of all strokes. The morphological and functional remodeling of the left atrium (LA) caused by AF favors blood stasis and, consequently, stroke risk. In this context, several clinical studies suggest that the stroke risk stratification could be improved by using hemodynamic information on the LA and the left atrial appendage (LAA).

Numerical modeling of fluid-structure interaction in arteries with anisotropic polyconvex hyperelastic and anisotropic viscoelastic material models at finite strains.

The accurate prediction of transmural stresses in arterial walls requires on the one hand robust and efficient numerical schemes for the solution of boundary value problems including fluid-structure interactions and on the other hand the use of a material model for the vessel wall that is able to capture the relevant features of the material behavior. One of the main contributions of this paper is the application of a highly nonlinear, polyconvex anisotropic structural model for the solid in the context of fluid-structure interaction, together with a suitable discretization. Additionally, the influence of viscoelasticity is investigated.