Modeling of arterial hemodynamics

Date
2009
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University of Delaware
Abstract
Accurate noninvasive measurement of the blood pressure waveforms throughout the body is clinically desirable, but difficult to accomplish. We use a computational model, based on a description of the architecture and mechanical properties of the arterial network and blood, to predict dynamic pressure throughout the arterial vasculature. Applanation tonometry was used to measure dynamic pressure noninvasively at the carotid, radial, and femoral arteries under different hemodynamic conditions (baseline, cold pressor test, and nitroglycerin). A pressure waveform from one recording site served as input to the model. Model parameters were adjusted to obtain the best fit between the pressures predicted at other locations and the pressures directly measured at those locations. The site whose pressure was used as the input was altered, and the ability to accurately predict pressures at the other sites was compared. In twenty one healthy subjects, the femoral and radial artery pressures have allowed most accurate prediction of pressures elsewhere. Vascular stiffness, resistance, and the dependence of stiffness on arterial diameter were estimated from the fitted model parameters. The model provides insight into the effects of physiological and pharmacological stimulation on arterial vascular properties in vivo. The model also provides a noninvasive estimate of central aortic pressure, which is valuable for understanding ventricular-vascular coupling in health and disease.
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