The Lattice Boltzmann Method as a General Framework for Blood Flow Modelling and Simulations

Abstract Large-scale simulations of blood flow allow for the optimal evaluation of endothelial shear stress for real-life case studies in cardiovascular pathologies. The procedure for anatomic data acquisition, geometry, and mesh generation are particularly favorable if used in conjunction with the Lattice Boltzmann method and the underlying Cartesian mesh. The methodology allows to accommodate red blood cells in order to take into account the corpuscular nature of blood in multiscale scenarios and its complex rheological response, in particular, in proxim-ity of the endothelium. Taken together, the Lattice Boltzmann framework has become a reality for studying sections of the human circulatory system in physio-logical conditions. Blood flow simulations constitute a rapidly growing field for the medical, engineer-ing, and basic sciences communities. The study of blood in the macrovasculature, as much as in capillaries, has deep implications in understanding and prevention of the most common cardiovascular pathologies, with atherosclerosis being perhap