Characterization of the transport topology in patient-specific abdominal aortic aneurysm models.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is characterized by disturbed blood flow patterns that are hypothesized to contribute to disease progression. The transport topology in six patient-specific abdominal aortic aneurysms was studied. Velocity data were obtained by image-based computational fluid dynamics modeling, with magnetic resonance imaging providing the necessary simulation parameters. Finite-time Lyapunov exponent (FTLE) fields were computed from the velocity data, and used to identify Lagrangian coherent structures (LCS). The combination of FTLE fields and LCS was used to characterize topological flow features such as separation zones, vortex transport, mixing regions, and flow impingement. These measures offer a novel perspective into AAA flow. It was observed that all aneurysms exhibited coherent vortex formation at the proximal segment of the aneurysm. The evolution of the systolic vortex strongly influences the flow topology in the aneurysm. It was difficult to predict the vortex dynamics from the aneurysm morphology, motivating the application of image-based flow modeling.