A parameter estimation framework for patient-specific hemodynamic computations

We propose a fully automated parameter estimation framework for performing patient-specific hemodynamic computations in arterial models. To determine the personalized values of the windkessel models, which are used as part of the geometrical multiscale circulation model, a parameter estimation problem is formulated. Clinical measurements of pressure and/or flow-rate are imposed as constraints to formulate a nonlinear system of equations, whose fixed point solution is sought. A key feature of the proposed method is a warm-start to the optimization procedure, with better initial solution for the nonlinear system of equations, to reduce the number of iterations needed for the calibration of the geometrical multiscale models. To achieve these goals, the initial solution, computed with a lumped parameter model, is adapted before solving the parameter estimation problem for the geometrical multiscale circulation model: the resistance and the compliance of the circulation model are estimated and compensated.The proposed framework is evaluated on a patient-specific aortic model, a full body arterial model, and multiple idealized anatomical models representing different arterial segments. For each case it leads to the best performance in terms of number of iterations required for the computational model to be in close agreement with the clinical measurements.