Tehdyt toimenpiteet

Modeling the human body

The physiology of the human body is complex and individual, but advanced computational methods enable the modeling of the body. Designing a reliable model requires accurate information about the functioning and anatomy of the body and about the properties of tissues. Advances in computing power enable utilization of quite complex models for research purposes and, in the future, perhaps even in the daily work of doctors.

As the possibilities of treating diseases improve, it is important to choose the right treatment for each individual patient. In the future, a doctor may be able to use a virtual model to test how the planned treatment would affect a patient, and can choose the best treatment method in each individual’s case. The challenge faced by models at present is how to apply them to a patient’s personal physiological characteristics. Medical models are already used in research and in fields that are easy to model. For instance, in the calculation of radiation doses resulting from radiotherapy, models are part of the daily routines of hospitals.

A model intended for clinical use must be individual and modifiable and it must describe the dynamic phenomena of the body. Accurate individual models enable the planning of individual treatments. At present, the treatment plans made by doctors rely on predictions based on statistical averages.

Nearly half of Finns die of various cardiovascular diseases. The behavior of blood circulation in vessels has a crucial effect on the emergence and development of diseases such as arteriosclerosis. A low and fluctuating speed of circulation on the vessel wall makes a person susceptible to the disease. When the condition develops into congestion of the vessel, the circulation of blood is obstructed further and the wall of the vessel is damaged. This is the start of a vicious circle that leads to a serious disease.

Clogging in the coronary artery and aneurysms in the blood vessels of the brain or in the abdominal aorta are medical conditions that have been studied by means of fluid dynamic models illustrating the flow of blood. Fluid dynamic computations enable the comparison of various surgery options and therapies in blood vessel surgery, or they can be applied in the development of artificial valves and other devices assisting the heart.

Modeling of blood circulation utilizes powerful computers, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Development of the models is highly multidisciplinary, involving experts in medicine, mathematical modeling, fluid dynamic computations, electromagnetism, and medical visualization and measurement.

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Tehdyt toimenpiteet

Modeling the human body


Sisältö Methods of computational science Applications of scientific computing Modeling the universe Ships and computational fluid dynamics Protein research Drug design Speech recognition and synthetic speech Modeling the human body Modeling in geosciences Geographic information systems Genotype and bioinformatics Grand Challenge research projects in CSC magazines Supercomputers and grids	Tehdyt toimenpiteet Tämä sivu suomeksi Modeling the human body The physiology of the human body is complex and individual, but advanced computational methods enable the modeling of the body. Designing a reliable model requires accurate information about the functioning and anatomy of the body and about the properties of tissues. Advances in computing power enable utilization of quite complex models for research purposes and, in the future, perhaps even in the daily work of doctors. As the possibilities of treating diseases improve, it is important to choose the right treatment for each individual patient. In the future, a doctor may be able to use a virtual model to test how the planned treatment would affect a patient, and can choose the best treatment method in each individual’s case. The challenge faced by models at present is how to apply them to a patient’s personal physiological characteristics. Medical models are already used in research and in fields that are easy to model. For instance, in the calculation of radiation doses resulting from radiotherapy, models are part of the daily routines of hospitals. A model intended for clinical use must be individual and modifiable and it must describe the dynamic phenomena of the body. Accurate individual models enable the planning of individual treatments. At present, the treatment plans made by doctors rely on predictions based on statistical averages. Nearly half of Finns die of various cardiovascular diseases. The behavior of blood circulation in vessels has a crucial effect on the emergence and development of diseases such as arteriosclerosis. A low and fluctuating speed of circulation on the vessel wall makes a person susceptible to the disease. When the condition develops into congestion of the vessel, the circulation of blood is obstructed further and the wall of the vessel is damaged. This is the start of a vicious circle that leads to a serious disease. Clogging in the coronary artery and aneurysms in the blood vessels of the brain or in the abdominal aorta are medical conditions that have been studied by means of fluid dynamic models illustrating the flow of blood. Fluid dynamic computations enable the comparison of various surgery options and therapies in blood vessel surgery, or they can be applied in the development of artificial valves and other devices assisting the heart. Modeling of blood circulation utilizes powerful computers, ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Development of the models is highly multidisciplinary, involving experts in medicine, mathematical modeling, fluid dynamic computations, electromagnetism, and medical visualization and measurement.