Finite Element Meshing for Cardiac Analysis

Yongjie (Jessica) Zhang*, Chandrajit L. Bajaj*, Thomas J. R. Hughes*, Wing Kam Liu †, Grace Chen†, Xiaodong Wang#, Marius
Lysaker‡, Christian Tarrou‡
*ICES & CS, Univ. of Texas at Austin †
ME, Northwestern Univ. #
ME, Polytechnic Univ. ‡
Simula Research Lab, Norway
Abstract: This poster presents technical details to generate an adaptive and quality tetrahedral finite element mesh of a human heart. An educational model and a patient-specific model are constructed. There are three main steps in our mesh generation: model
acquisition, mesh extraction and boundary/material layer detection. (1) Model acquisition. Beginning from an educational polygonal model, we edit and convert it to volumetric gridded data. A component index for each cell edge and grid point is computed to assist
the boundary and material layer detection. For the patient-specific model, some boundary points are selected from MRI images, and connected using cubic splines and lofting to segment the MRI data. Different components are identified. (2) Mesh extraction. We
extract adaptive and quality tetrahedral meshes from the volumetric gridded data using our Level Set Boundary and Interior-Exterior Mesher (LBIE-Mesher). The mesh adaptivity is controlled by regions or using a feature sensitive error function. (3)
Boundary/material layer detection. The boundary of each component and multiple material layers are identified and meshed. The extracted tetrahedral mesh of the educational model is being utilized in the analysis of cardiac fluid dynamics via immersed continuum
method, and the generated patient-specific model will be used in simulating the electrical activity of the heart.

1. An Educational Model 1.4 Application and Results 2. A Patient-specific Model

We first select some points in each slice of the MRI data, then connect them smoothly
1.1 Model Acquisition using cubic splines and lofting. In this way, we segment the MRI data into four
An educational polygonal model is modified and converted into volumetric gridded regions: the background (0), the heart muscle (81), the left ventricle (162) and the right
data using the signed distance method. The heart model is decomposed into twenty- ventricle (243). We use the same method to generate adaptive tetrahedral meshes,
two components as shown in Table 1. Additional volume data indicating which which will be used in the simulation of the electronic activity of the heart.
component each grid point and each cell edge belong to is also calculated.

Raw MRI data Manually digitized slices Continuous model

Tab. 1. The corresponding relationship between the

component/boundary index, components and their
colors. The heart model is decomposed into twenty-two
components as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 1. Heart Anatomy Model from [4] aortic valve tricuspid valve pulmonary valve mitral valve

Volume rendering Smooth shading

1.2 Mesh Extraction Application: The heart model is put inside a cubic
container, and all the blood vessels are extended to the
We choose the extended Dual container boundary. The constructed meshes is being
Contouring method to construct the used in the simulation of blood flow using immersed
continuum method, the distribution of velocity, shear
tetrahedral heart model from volumetric stress, pressure and locations of flow recirculation are
gridded data [2][3] because it takes analyzed. It is useful for the heart valve design and the
understanding of blood circulation disease.
isosurfaces as boundaries and can Before material layer detection After material layer detection
generate adaptive and quality meshes for
complicated structures.
Original Model Modified Model Smooth shading + wireframe
1.3 Boundary/Material Layer Detection

The heart inside the human body A cross section of tetrahedral mesh

Fig. 3. Boundary Detection Fig. 6. Interior/exterior meshes of a patient-specific heart .

aortic valve tricuspid valve pulmonary valve mitral valve
References
1. Y. Zhang, C. Bajaj. Finite Element Meshing for Cardiac Analysis. ICES Technical Report 04-26, the Univ. of Texas
at Austin, 2004.
2. Y. Zhang, C. Bajaj, B.-S. Sohn. 3D Finite Element Meshing from Imaging Data. Accepted in the special issue of
CMAME on Unstructured Mesh Generation. 2004.
3. Y. Zhang, C. Bajaj, B.-S. Sohn. Adaptive and Quality 3D Meshing from Imaging Data, ACM Symposium on Solid
The heart model with extensions The heart model immersed in the fluid mesh
Modeling and Applications. pp. 286-291, Seattle, June 2003.
Original foramen ovale Modified foramen ovale
4. The World’s Best Anatomical Charts. Anatomical Chart Company Skokie, IL. ISBN 0-9603730-5-5.
Fig. 2. The original model from NYU* and the modified model. Fig. 5. The resulting adaptive and quality tetrahedral mesh for the cardiac model and the heart model Acknowledgements: Thank NYU for providing the educational polygonal heart model, Helena Hanninen from
Fig. 4. Material Layer Detection Note*: With permission of New York University, Copyright 1994-2004. used in the simulation of blood flow. Helsinki Univ. Central Hospital in Finland for MRI scanned data.

13th International Meshing Roundtable, Williamsburg, Virginia, September 19-22, 2004 * Please contact jessica@ices.utexas.edu for further information.