Figure 2.

On top is the segmented model of the left ventricular assist device (LVAD) outflow graft anastomosis site at the thoracic aorta. Below is a color-coded display of three hemodynamic parameters in different presentations. On the left, velocity is shown as a semitransparent volume display (higher velocities are red and more opaque). The center depicts wall shear stress (WSS) at the points of the computational grid; and the right shows total pressure in a 3-dimensional surface display. For the velocity, a semitransparent display is advantageous as the velocity jet inside the computational model is mostly of interest (velocity is zero by definition at the wall). For WSS, small variation may be important (focal maxima of shear or force may be indicative of future problems), therefore a granular display is important. Total pressure mainly illustrates the overall general pressure situation (here, blue is high pressure due to the inflow boundaries of the LVAD graft and the aortic valve). No details along the computational model are usually needed.