Arterial wall viscoelasticity and cardiovascular networks

该项目开发了心血管系统的数学和计算模型，该模型将血流动力学与单个血管段和血管网络的血管壁粘弹性相结合。该项目设计集成了新的数学建模，软组织粘弹性的新数值技术，以及通过与乌拉圭蒙得维的亚共和国大学实验人员合作进行的广泛数据分析。单个血管段和多个血管网络的模型将与采用参数估计和敏感性分析技术的实验数据的系统分析相协调。这项研究的高度综合性和跨学科性质将产生结果，可以导致血管网络中心血管动力学建模的新标准。特别是，将根据血管位置和类型、物种（绵羊、人类）和实验条件（体内、体外）分析动脉壁粘弹性的重要性。此外，将模拟疾病的影响，重点是临床相关变量。本项目开发的模型将有助于准确预测心血管网络中的血流、血压和血管横截面积的波形。本项目通过协调数学和计算建模以及系统和全面的实验数据分析方法，开发了一种新颖的综合方法来分析单血管和血管网络中的心血管动力学。目前的方法依赖于忽略单个血管壁变形中的能量损失（粘弹性）的模型，或者不考虑对血管的心血管网络中的血压、血流和血管横截面积的下游效应的模型。该项目中开发的模型将与实验合作者协调进行评估，校准和改进，以便分析来自不同实验条件，不同物种（绵羊，人类）和不同健康状态（健康与高血压）的数据。该项目的技术和成果有可能为心血管血流建模建立新的标准，也可以应用于研究其他疾病的影响（例如，糖尿病），严重影响心血管健康。该项目中开发的血管网络模型有可能为临床医生提供血压波形参考库，这些血压波形可以纳入医疗模拟器和数据库，用于心血管医学的诊断应用。

This project develops mathematical and computational models of the cardiovascular system that couple dynamics of blood flow to vessel wall viscoelasticity at the scale of individual vessel segments and vessel networks. The project design integrates novel mathematical modeling, new numerical techniques for soft tissue viscoelasticity, and extensive data analysis via collaboration with experimentalists at the Republic University, Montevideo, Uruguay. Models of both individual vessel segments and networks of multiple vessels will be developed in coordination with a systematic analysis of experimental data that employs parameter estimation and sensitivity analysis techniques. The highly integrative and interdisciplinary nature of this study will yield outcomes that can lead to new standards for modeling cardiovascular dynamics in vessel networks. In particular, the importance of arterial wall viscoelasticity will be analyzed according to vessel location and type, species (sheep, humans) and experimental conditions (in-vivo, ex-vivo). In addition, effects of disease will be simulated with an emphasis on variables of clinical relevance. The models developed in this project will facilitate accurate prediction of waveforms for blood flow, blood pressure, and vessel cross-sectional area in cardiovascular networks.This project develops a novel, integrative approach to analyzing cardiovascular dynamics both in single vessels as well as vessel networks by coordinating mathematical and computational modeling with a systematic and comprehensive approach to analysis of experimental data. Present approaches rely on models that neglect energy loss (viscoelasticity) in the deformation of individual vessel walls, or models that do not consider downstream effects on blood pressure, blood flow, and vessel cross-sectional area in cardiovascular networks of blood vessels. The models developed in this project will be assessed, calibrated and refined in coordination with experimental collaborators allowing analysis of data from varying experimental conditions, different species (sheep, human), and in different states of health (healthy vs. hypertensives). The techniques and outcomes of this project have the potential for setting a new standard in modeling cardiovascular blood flow and can also be applied to study effects of other diseases (e.g., diabetes) that significantly affect cardiovascular health. The models of vessel networks developed in this project have the potential to provide clinicians with a reference library of blood pressure waveforms that can be incorporated into medical simulators and databases for diagnostic applications in cardiovascular medicine.