Conceptual model of arterial tree based on solitons by compartments.

Abstract

Models define a simplification of reality, which help to understand function. The arterial system has been modeled in many ways: lumped models, tube models and anatomically based distributed models. In this work, arterial segments were modeled as thin nonlinear elastic tubes filled with an incompressible fluid, whose governing dynamics were denoted by the Korteweg and DeVries equation. In order characterize the pressure pulse propagation, a discrete multi-segmented conduit was proposed. Arterial wall mechanical parameters were obtained from existing literature and assigned to each individual segment. The numerical model was developed starting in the aortic arch, and ending at the femoral artery. The main idea of this article was to perform a computational simulation of pressure wave propagation, considered as a solitons combination, along several segments of the arterial tree.