LIFE SCIENCES

Scientists leverage high performance computing technologies to identify the morphological characteristics of intracranial aneurysms that result in high frequency fluctuations, and assess the role of these fluctuations in aneurysmal wall degradation and consequently aneurysm rupture. Using SuperMUC they performed simulations with up to one billion elements, which allowed the simulation of flow at spatial and temporal resolutions of 8µm and 1µs, while resolving the smallest structures that can develop in a turbulent flow.

A significant part of modern mortality is contributed by strokes, caused by the rupture of intracranial aneurysms (IA). Nearly 4-5% of the world population is reported to be suffering from IA. The deployment of a flow diverter stent in the parent artery of an aneurysm is a novel and minimally invasive treatment procedure, which can cause complete obliteration of the aneurysm by thrombosis.