Impact of fluid-structure interaction on direct tumor-targeting in a representative hepatic artery system.
Direct targeting of solid tumors with chemotherapeutic drugs and/or radioactive microspheres can be a treatment option which minimizes side-effects and reduces cost. Briefly, computational analysis generates particle release maps (PRMs) which visually link upstream particle injection regions in the main artery with associated exit branches, some connected to tumors. The overall goal is to compute patient-specific PRMs realistically, accurately, and cost-effectively, which determines the suitable radial placement of a micro-catheter for optimal particle injection. Focusing in this paper on new steps towards realism and accuracy, the impact of fluid-structure interaction on direct drug-targeting is evaluated, using a representative hepatic artery system with liver tumor as a test bed. Specifically, the effect of arterial wall motion was demonstrated by modeling a two-way fluid-structure interaction analysis with Lagrangian particle tracking in the bifurcating arterial system. Clearly, rapid computational evaluation of optimal catheter location for tumor-targeting in a clinical application is very important. Hence, rigid-wall cases were also compared to the flexible scenario to establish whether PRMs generated when based on simplifying assumptions could provide adequate guidance towards ideal catheter placement. It was found that the best rigid (i.e., time-averaged) geometry is the physiological one that occurs during the diastolic targeting interval.
Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Engineering Bldg. III, 911 Oval Drive, Campus Box 7910, Raleigh, NC, 27695-7910, USA.
Emily M
EM
Childress
Clement
C
Kleinstreuer
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000494:pharmacology; D003198:Computer Simulation; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D018056:Hemorheology; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents