Space-time finite element computation of arterial fluid-structure interactions with patient-specific data

The stabilized space-time fluid-structure interaction (SSTFSI) technique developed by the team for advanced flow simulation and modeling is applied to the computation of arterial fluid-structure interaction (FSI) with patient-specific data. The SSTFSI technique is based on the deforming-spatial-domain/stabilized space-time formulation and is supplemented with a number of special techniques developed for arterial FSI. These include a recipe for pre-FSI computations that improve the convergence of the FSI computations, using an estimated zero-pressure arterial geometry, layers of refined fluid mechanics mesh near the arterial walls, and a special mapping technique for specifying the velocity profile at an inflow boundary with non-circular shape. In the test computations reported here, we focus on a patient-specific middle cerebral artery segment with aneurysm, where the arterial geometry is based on computed tomography images.