Contemporary research in CV fluid mechanics demands transformative engineering research and novel enabling technologies.  CMU faculty investigates several areas in this field, founded on their expertise in blood damage models, pediatric ventricle assist devices, patient-specific computational/experimental fluid dynamics, congenital heart defects, and aneurysm biomechanics.  For example, Kerem Pekkan investigates the role of fluid flow in early great vessel development using optical coherence tomography.  He has developed reduced-order hemodynamic optimization-based models of vessel growth and remodeling to predict complex circulation network topologies (see figure).  Pekkan has also introduced new boundary conditions for computational modeling of congenital heart surgeries, which lead to the discovery of new non-invasive therapy alternatives.  In addition, the research of James Antaki, Ender Finol, Kerem Pekkan, and Jessica Zhang continue to expand the capability of hemodynamic pre-surgical planning technologies.

Mechanical modeling is used extensively in various aspects of CV research.  For example, the research of Ender Finol is aimed at evaluating abdominal aortic aneurysm hemodynamics and wall mechanics as it relates to aneurysm rupture risk assessment (see figure).  The roles of intraluminal thrombus and vascular wall thickness are studied using fluid-structure interaction techniques with patient specific inflow boundary conditions derived from magnetic resonance imaging.  James Antaki applies hemodynamic optimization driven by multi-scale platelet activation models, with the goal of minimizing blood damage in ventricular assist devices.  In addition, Jessica Zhang develops efficient finite element mesh generation technologies for CV problems.

The group of James Antaki investigates several novel CV medical devices (see figure), among them pediatric ventricle assist devices (recently approved for clinical trial), bathymetric neurosurgery devices, and magneto-fluid dynamic malaria cell microchips.  The research of Ender Finol encompasses the improvement of the efficiencies of embolic protection filters used in interventional radiology, the optimization of thrombectomy catheters for lower extremity artery repair, and the design of new intravascular devices for pharmaco-mechanical disruption of blood clots in stroke patients.  In addition, the research of Kerem Pekkan aims to improve the hemodynamics of pediatric and neonatal cardiopulmonary bypass cannulas and investigates arterial stent dislocation.

CMU Robotics Institute conducts applied research in computer-assisted surgery and smart medical and diagnostic tools.  For example, Cameron Riviere develops the Heartlander system that allows non-invasive access over the surface of a beating heart,  Howie Choset develops a small 11mm cross-sectional diameter snake robot for use in minimally invasive surgery, while Metin Sitti develops robotic micropropulsion systems for various gastrointestinal and vascular access applications (see figure).

Beyond the CV system, tissue level biomechanical research is performed primary by courtesy members including Hartmut Geyer, Branko Jaramaz, Yoed Rabin, and Kenji Shimada.   Geyer group investigates principles of legged dynamics and control, and their relation to human motor control; Jaramaz group develops 3D statistical shape atlases for computer-assisted orthopaedic surgery systems; Rabin group develops technologies to optimize cryosurgery; Shimada group uses computational approaches to model tissues and develops robotic technologies for image-guided surgery.