Numerical analysis of arterial pressure waveforms under various physiological conditions with a multi-scale model of the human cardiovascular system

摘要

A multi-scale computational model of the cardiovascular system is developed for the purpose of studying the changes in arterial pulses with physiological condition. In this study, we play emphasis on heartbeat rate, one of the parameters most sensitive to physiological condition. Herein, three heartbeat rate cases (40, 60 and 120 beats/minute) are studied. Obtained results show pronounced changes in both the shape and the magnitude of arterial pulses with heartbeat rate. Such changes are attributable to the dependence of systolic wave reflection on systolic duration determined by heartbeat rate. These findings indicate that the effects of heartbeat should be considered carefully when analyzing measured arterial pulses, otherwise, wrong conclusions might be drawn.