Application of the PFEM to the study of blood flows and their interactions with highly deformable artery walls, including rupture

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of mortality worldwide, with projections indicating a concerning rise in related deaths. Computational models offer promising tools to understand the hemodynamics and biomechanical mechanisms underlying vascular failure. In particular, Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) algorithms have found significant applications in cardiovascular engineering. This study aims at demonstrating the relevance of the Particle Finite Element Method (PFEM) to model fluid–structure interactions between artery walls and blood flows, and assess the corresponding biomechanical aspects. For this, the flow–structure interaction problem is addressed using a partitioned approach with a strong coupling of the PFEM (for the fluid) and FEM (for the solid) models. Both Newtonian and Casson fluid models, as well as a Mooney–Rivlin hyperelastic model for the deformation of blood vessels, are incorporated. The numerical simulations successfully describe a wide range of situations, from the ejection of blood from the left ventricle to the dynamics of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. To the best of our knowledge, this work describes the very first applications of the PFEM to the study of blood flows in FSI simulations. It is also original by the explicit description of the rupture of the artery wall. Although the model could still be improved, for instance by introducing a turbulence model to deal with high–speed flow through the valve or considering anisotropic hyperelastic models for vessels, the results demonstrate the high potential of this method for describing the interactions of blood flows with the deforming artery walls.