Immersed finite element method and its applications to biological systems

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-15-2006

Abstract

This paper summarizes the newly developed immersed finite element method (IFEM) and its applications to the modeling of biological systems. This work was inspired by the pioneering work of Professor T.J.R. Hughes in solving fluid-structure interaction problems. In IFEM, a Lagrangian solid mesh moves on top of a background Eulerian fluid mesh which spans the entire computational domain. Hence, mesh generation is greatly simplified. Moreover, both fluid and solid domains are modeled with the finite element method and the continuity between the fluid and solid sub-domains is enforced via the interpolation of the velocities and the distribution of the forces with the reproducing Kernel particle method (RKPM) delta function. The proposed method is used to study the fluid-structure interaction problems encountered in human cardiovascular systems. Currently, the heart modeling is being constructed and the deployment process of an angioplasty stent has been simulated. Some preliminary results on monocyte and platelet deposition are presented. Blood rheology, in particular, the shear-rate dependent de-aggregation of red blood cell (RBC) clusters and the transport of deformable cells, are modeled. Furthermore, IFEM is combined with electrokinetics to study the mechanisms of nano/bio filament assembly for the understanding of cell motility. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Identifier

30944434458 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cma.2005.05.049

ISSN

00457825

First Page

1722

Last Page

1749

Issue

13-16

Volume

195

Fund Ref

National Science Foundation

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