The scientific computing community has welcomed a new addition to cardiovascular modeling with BloodFlowTrixi.jl, a Julia package that brings sophisticated blood flow simulation capabilities to researchers and medical professionals. The package has sparked interest among researchers working on cardiovascular and brain hemodynamics studies, offering both 1D and 2D modeling capabilities.
Advanced Modeling Capabilities
The package currently implements two primary approaches to blood flow modeling, with community discussions revealing plans for extensive expansion. While the 1D model handles basic arterial compliance and flow dynamics, the 2D model extends into more complex scenarios, particularly excelling at modeling non-axisymmetric aneurysms. As one community member highlighted:
Missing branching, however 2D model supports non-axisymmetric aneurysm really well and you can give a parametrised curve to the visualisation in last release
Current Model Types:
- 1D Blood Flow Model
- 2D Blood Flow Model
Planned Future Features:
- Second order 1D model
- 3D fluid-structure interaction models
- Artery networks support
- Autodiff support for parameter optimization
- Noslip + polynomial profile driven models
- Visco elastic case
- Radius layered models
Electrical Analogues and Model Diversity
An interesting parallel emerged in the discussions, with researchers pointing out the connection to lumped parameter models that treat blood flow similarly to electrical circuits. This alternative approach complements the package's fluid dynamics models, offering different perspectives on cardiovascular system behavior.
Future Development Roadmap
The community engagement has revealed an ambitious development path, with plans to incorporate more sophisticated models. These include noslip polynomial profile driven models, visco-elastic cases, and radius layered models. Perhaps most notably, there are plans to implement full 3D fluid-structure interaction (FSI) models, though this has been acknowledged as a significant challenge requiring collaborative effort.
Clinical Applications
Discussions have highlighted potential applications in brain hemodynamics, with particular interest in aneurysm and stenosis modeling. The developer has promised upcoming examples specifically targeting these clinical scenarios, making the package increasingly relevant for medical research applications.
The package represents a significant step forward in making advanced blood flow modeling more accessible to researchers, while maintaining the computational efficiency that Julia is known for. As the community continues to engage with the package, its capabilities are expected to expand to meet diverse research needs in cardiovascular studies.
Reference: BloodFlowTrixi.jl