In silico modelling as virtual design tool
for medical devices and technology
Currently, computational models are increasingly used as virtual tools to assist in the design and testing of new medical devices and technology. Moreover, these models may also play an important role in patient-specific diagnosis and planning of treatments using medical devices or technology. There is a wide variety of complexity in computer models ranging from lumped parameter models (0D) to advanced 3D numerical models of an organ, system and/or medical device. The advanced modelling techniques include:
(i) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to study biofluid mechanics,
(ii) finite element modelling (FEM) to focus on structural mechanics,
(iii) and fluid-structure interaction (FSI) to account for the coupling between the fluid and structural domain.
Within IBiTech, there’s a vast expertise on applying these modelling techniques to biomedical engineering problems. Examples of previous and ongoing research include the use of virtual testing modalities for the design of medical devices (e.g. stents and stent-related devices, heart valves, artificial kidneys, catheters etc.), as well as for patient-specific diagnosis and planning of treatments (e.g. aortic aneurysms, targeted drug delivery for liver cancer etc.).
Liver microcirculation (CFD model)
Abdominal aortic aneurysm treated with a stent graft
(FEM modelling)
Example of a stent mounted on an unfolding balloon (FEM simulation)
Fluid-structure interaction simulation of blood flow in the mouse carotid artery