Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Computational Mesh Generation for Vascular Structures with Deformable Surfaces

  • Original article
  • Published:
International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Computational blood flow and vessel wall mechanics simulations for vascular structures are becoming an important research tool for patient-specific surgical planning and intervention. An important step in the modelling process for patient-specific simulations is the creation of the computational mesh based on the segmented geometry. Most known solutions either require a large amount of manual processing or lead to a substantial difference between the segmented object and the actual computational domain. We have developed a chain of algorithms that lead to a closely related implementation of image segmentation with deformable models and 3D mesh generation. The resulting processing chain is very robust and leads both to an accurate geometrical representation of the vascular structure as well as high quality computational meshes. The chain of algorithms has been tested on a wide variety of shapes. A benchmark comparison of our mesh generation application with five other available meshing applications clearly indicates that the new approach outperforms the existing methods in the majority of cases.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Audette M, Delingette H, Fuchs A, Koseki Y, Chinzei K (2003) A procedure for computing patient-specific anatomical models for finite element-based surgical simulation. In: 7th annual conference of the international society for computer aided surgery (ISCAS’03)

  2. Bourouchaki H, Hecht F, Saltel E, George P (1995) Reasonably efficient delaunay based mesh generator in three dimensions. In: Proceedings of the 4th international meshing roundtable, pp 3–14

  3. Cebral J, Castro M, Appanaboyina S, Putman C, Millan D, Frangi A (2005) Efficient pipeline for image-based patient-specific analysis of cerebral aneurysm hemodynamics: technique and sensitivity. IEEE Trans Med Imaging 24:457–467

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Cebral J, Löhner R (2001) From medical images to anatomically accurate finite element grids. Int J Numer Methods Eng 51:985–1008

    Google Scholar 

  5. Cebral J, Löhner R, Soto O, Choyke P, Yim P (2002) Image-based finite element modeling of hemodynamics in stenosed carotid artery. In: Proceedings of SPIE medical imaging, vol 4683, pp 297–304

  6. Delingette H, Hébert M, Ikeuchi K (1992) Shape representation and image segmentation using deformable surfaces. Image Vis Comput 10:132–44

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Di Martino E, Guadagni G, Fumero A, Ballerini G, Spirito R, Biglioli P, Redaelli A (2001) Fluid - structure interaction within realistic three-dimensional models of the aneurysmatic aorta as a guidance to assess the risk of rupture of the aneurysm. Med Eng Phys 23:647–655

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Ferrant M, Nabavi A, Macq B, Jolesz F, Kikinis R, Warfield S (2001) Registration of 3D intraoperative MR images of the brain using a finite-element biomechanical model. IEEE Trans Med Imaging 20:1384–1397

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Fillinger M, Marra S, Raghavan M, Kennedy F (2003) Prediction of rupture risk in abdominal aortic aneurysm during observation: wall stress versus diameter. J Vasc Surg 37:724–732

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Fillinger M, Raghavan M, Marra S, Cronenwett J, Kennedy F (2002) In vivo analysis of mechanical wall stress and abdominal aortic aneurysm risk. J Vasc Surg 26:589–597

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Freitag L, Plassmann P (2000) Local optimisation-based simplicial mesh untangling and improvement. Int J Numer Methods Eng 49:109–125

    Google Scholar 

  12. Gérard O, Collet Billon A, Rouet J-M, Jacob M, Fradkin M, Allouche C (2002) Efficient model-based quantification of left ventricular function in 3D echocardiography. IEEE Trans Med Imaging 21:1059–1068

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Hartmann U, Kruggel F (1998) A fast algorithm for generating tetrahedral 3D finite element meshes from magnetic resonance tomograms. In: Proceedings of the IEEE workshop on medical image analysis

  14. Hilton A, Illingworth J (1997) Marching triangles: Delaunay implicit surface triangulation. Technical report, University of Surrey

  15. Löhner R (1996) Regridding surface triangulations. J Comput Phys 126:1–10

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Lorensen W, Cline H (1987) Marching cubes: A high resolution 3D surface construction method. Comput Graph 21:163–169

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Mohamed A, Davatzikos C (2004) Finite element mesh generation and remeshing from segmented medical images. In: Proceedings of the 2004 IEEE international symposium on biomedical imaging pp 420–423. IEEE,Arlington

  18. Myers J, Moore J, Ojha M, Johnston K, Ethier C (2001) Factors influencing blood flow patterns in the human right coronary artery. Ann Biomed Eng 29:109–120

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Perktold K, Hofer M, Rappitsch G, Loew M, Kuban B, Friedman M (1998) Validated computation of physiologic flow in a realistic coronary artery branch. J Biomech 31:217–228

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Quatember B, Mühlthaler H (2003) Generation of CFD meshes from biplane angiograms: an example of image-based mesh generation and simulation. Appl Numer Math 46:379–397

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Schmidt J, Johnson C, Eason J, McLeod R (1994) Applications of automatic mesh generation and adaptive methods in computational medicine. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New york

    Google Scholar 

  22. Seveno E (1997) Towards an adaptive advancing front method. In: Proceedings of the 6th international meshing roundtable, pp 349–360

  23. Shewchuk J (2002a) Constrained delaunay tetrahedralizations and provably good boundary recovery. In: Proceedings of the 11th international meshing roundtable, pp 193–204

  24. Shewchuk J (2002b) What is a good linear element? Interpolation, conditioning, and quality measures. In Proceedings of the 11th international meshing roundtable, pp 15–18

  25. Steinman D, Milner J, Norley C, Lownie S, Holdsworth D (2003) Image-based computational simulation of flow dynamics in a giant intracranial aneurysm. Am J Neuroradiol 24:559–566

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Steinman D, Thomas J, Ladak H, Milner J, Rutt B, Spence J (2002) Reconstruction of carotid bifurcation hemodynamics and wall thickness using computational fluid dynamics and MRI. Mag Reson Med 47:149–159

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Sullivan J, Charron G, Paulsen K (1997) A three-dimensional mesh generator for arbitrary multiple material domains. Finite Elem Anal Des 25:219–241

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Ulrich D, van Rietbergen B, Weinans H, Rüegsegger P (1998) Finite element analysis of trabecular bone structure: a comparison of image-based meshing techniques. J Biomech 31:1187–1192

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Vlachos A, Peters J, Boyd C, Mitchell J (2001) Curved PN triangles. In: Proceedings of the ACM symposium on interactive 3D graphics, pp 159–166

  30. Wolters B, Rutten M, Schurink G, Kose U, de Hart J, van de Vosse F (2005) Towards model-based rupture risk assesment of abdominal aortic aneurysms. Med Eng Phys 27:871–883

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

    S. de Putter, F. N. van de Vosse & F. A. Gerritsen

  2. Medisys, Philips Medical Systems Research, Suresnes, France

    F. Laffargue

  3. Healthcare IT - Advanced Development, Philips Medical Systems, Best, The Netherlands

    F. A. Gerritsen & M. Breeuwer

  4. Philips Medical Systems-QV 162, Veenpluis 6, 5684PC, Best, The Netherlands

    S. de Putter

Authors
  1. S. de Putter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. F. N. van de Vosse
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. F. A. Gerritsen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. F. Laffargue
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. M. Breeuwer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to S. de Putter.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Putter, S.d., Vosse, F.N.v.d., Gerritsen, F.A. et al. Computational Mesh Generation for Vascular Structures with Deformable Surfaces. Int J CARS 1, 39–49 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11548-006-0004-1

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11548-006-0004-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation