Medical Applications Tap into CFD
Software simulations open windows to understanding critical
fluid flow.
by Pamela J. Waterman
As natural as breathing. That phrase takes on new meaning when a medical condition makes ordinary breathing a moment-by-moment struggle.
We generally don’t think about our blood circulating until someone mentions heart attack or stroke. But in the medical field, these fundamentally human functions translate into daily design challenges as device manufacturers strive to understand and improve their life-critical products. DE looks at several design projects where computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software sheds light on complex fluid behaviors.
Taking the Burden off Testing
In most projects, early-stage research leads to multiple design concepts, any of which may lead to a great product. But because no company can afford to build them all, CFD can be invaluable in identifying the best possibilities before anything gets built. Dr. Chris Varga has seen that firsthand in his position as senior principal research scientist at CareFusion, a global medical technology company. |