Quality Metrics for High Order Meshes: Analysis of the Mechanical Simulation of the Heart Beat

TY - JOUR

T1 - Quality Metrics for High Order Meshes

T2 - Analysis of the Mechanical Simulation of the Heart Beat

AU - Lamata de la Orden, Pablo

AU - Roy, Ishani

AU - Blazevic, Bojan

AU - Crozier, Andrew

AU - Land, Sander

AU - Niederer, Steven A.

AU - Hose, D. Rod

AU - Smith, Nicolas P.

PY - 2013/1

Y1 - 2013/1

N2 - The quality of a computational mesh is an important characteristic for stable and accurate simulations. Quality depends on the regularity of the initial mesh, and in mechanical simulations it evolves in time, with deformations causing changes in volume and distortion of mesh elements. Mesh quality metrics are therefore relevant for both mesh personalization and the monitoring of the simulation process. This work evaluates the significance, in meshes with high order interpolation, of four quality metrics described in the literature, applying them to analyse the stability of the simulation of the heart beat. It also investigates how image registration and mesh warping parameters affect the quality and stability of meshes. Jacobian-based metrics outperformed or matched the results of coarse geometrical metrics of aspect ratio or orthogonality, although they are more expensive computationally. The stability of simulations of a complete heart cycle was best predicted with a specificity of 61%, sensitivity of 85%, and only nominal differences were found changing the intra-element and per-element combination of quality values. A compromise between fitting accuracy and mesh stability and quality was found. Generic geometrical quality metrics have a limited success predicting stability, and an analysis of the simulation problem may be required for an optimal definition of quality.

AB - The quality of a computational mesh is an important characteristic for stable and accurate simulations. Quality depends on the regularity of the initial mesh, and in mechanical simulations it evolves in time, with deformations causing changes in volume and distortion of mesh elements. Mesh quality metrics are therefore relevant for both mesh personalization and the monitoring of the simulation process. This work evaluates the significance, in meshes with high order interpolation, of four quality metrics described in the literature, applying them to analyse the stability of the simulation of the heart beat. It also investigates how image registration and mesh warping parameters affect the quality and stability of meshes. Jacobian-based metrics outperformed or matched the results of coarse geometrical metrics of aspect ratio or orthogonality, although they are more expensive computationally. The stability of simulations of a complete heart cycle was best predicted with a specificity of 61%, sensitivity of 85%, and only nominal differences were found changing the intra-element and per-element combination of quality values. A compromise between fitting accuracy and mesh stability and quality was found. Generic geometrical quality metrics have a limited success predicting stability, and an analysis of the simulation problem may be required for an optimal definition of quality.

KW - Computational cardiac physiology

KW - computational mesh

KW - image registration

KW - mesh quality

KW - mesh stability

KW - MATERIAL PARAMETER-ESTIMATION

KW - 3D

KW - DEFORMATION

KW - GENERATION

KW - SYSTEM

U2 - 10.1109/TMI.2012.2231094

DO - 10.1109/TMI.2012.2231094

M3 - Article

VL - 32

SP - 130

EP - 138

JO - IEEE Transaction on Medical Imaging

JF - IEEE Transaction on Medical Imaging

IS - 1

M1 - N/A

ER -