Evaluation of heart valve biomechanics

We are performing research into the design of artificial heart valves, by using experimental and numerical techniques. We are currently using preCICE to couple OpenFOAM (FOAM-Extend, self-written adapter with immersed boundary approach) and CalculiX (official adapter) to perform numerical simulations of the opening and closing of heart valves. We are using preCICE as it can handle numerical simulations of large sizes with ease as opposed to previous in-house couplers. Furthermore, the quick and efficient coupling techniques reduce our simulation time significantly.

- Kyle Davis
University of the Free State, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, South Africa