Aortic aneurysms and dissections: Unmet needs from physicians and engineers perspectives.

The treatment of aortic disease is complex, requiring cardiothoracic and vascular surgeons to make pre-, post- and intraoperative decisions directly influencing patient survival and well-being. Despite tremendous advancement in vascular surgery and endovascular techniques in the last two decades, along with the abundance of research in the field, many unmet needs and unanswered questions remain. Tight collaboration between engineers and physicians is a keystone in translating new tools, techniques, and devices into practice.

Computational modeling of thrombosis as a tool in the design and optimization of vascular implants.

In this review, we examine the possibility of using the computational modeling of hemodynamically-induced thrombosis as an engineering tool for designing vascular implants such as stents, grafts and artificial valves, and procedures such as aneurysm coiling and vascular grafting. The success or failure of such procedures depends strongly on how they affect the coagulation mechanism, for which there is currently no standard, robust and reliable modeling technique available. We believe the key to achieving the required level of modeling lies within the computational approach, and we separate the approaches into top-down (continuum-methods) vs.

Fibrin polymerization in blood coagulation-a statistical model.

A theoretical model for the growth of fibrin clots is derived. The model is based on a statistical description of the polymerization process underlying the formation of the fibrin polymeric network. The model provides insights regarding the role of various factors, such as thrombin concentration, plasmin concentration, and the local shear rate in the coagulation process.

No need for particle tracing: from accumulating fluid properties to novel blood coagulation model in the lattice Boltzmann method.

The accumulation of a fluid property from the standpoint of a particle moving with non-steady fluid flow (i.e., platelet/blood-cell damage index in pulsating blood flow) is a challenged computational problem due to the current need for particle-tracing methods.

Stochastic collective movement of cells and fingering morphology: no maverick cells.

The classical approach to model collective biological cell movement is through coupled nonlinear reaction-diffusion equations for biological cells and diffusive chemicals that interact with the biological cells. This approach takes into account the diffusion of cells, proliferation, death of cells, and chemotaxis. Whereas the classical approach has many advantages, it fails to consider many factors that affect multicell movement.

Simulation of heat exposure and damage to the eye lens in a neighborhood bakery.

Epidemiological studies indicated a link between high temperature environment and cataract. The purpose of the study was to investigate if the high temperature in neighborhood bakeries can cause damage to the eye lens. Measurements were done to determine the temperature and exposure time in the neighborhood bakeries during a workday.