A comprehensive mathematical model for cardiac perfusion

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to introduce a new mathematical model that simulates myocardial blood perfusion that accounts for multiscale and multiphysics features. Our model incorporates cardiac electrophysiology, active and passive mechanics, hemodynamics, valve modeling, and a multicompartment Darcy model of perfusion. We consider a fully coupled electromechanical model of the left heart that provides input for a fully coupled Navier–Stokes–Darcy model for myocardial perfusion. The fluid dynamics problem is modeled in a left heart geometry that includes large epicardial coronaries, while the multicompartment Darcy model is set in a biventricular myocardium. Using a realistic and detailed cardiac geometry, our simulations demonstrate the biophysical fidelity of our model in describing cardiac perfusion. Specifically, we successfully validate the model reliability by comparing in-silico coronary flow rates and average myocardial blood flow with clinically established values ranges reported in relevant literature. Additionally, we investigate the impact of a regurgitant aortic valve on myocardial perfusion, and our results indicate a reduction in myocardial perfusion due to blood flow taken away by the left ventricle during diastole. To the best of our knowledge, our work represents the first instance where electromechanics, hemodynamics, and perfusion are integrated into a single computational framework.