Normal Waves Arising when Blood Moves Through an Artery

Abstract

A model is proposed of the pulse wave propagation through an artery is proposed. The artery is considered as a cylindrical shell surrounded by an elastic medium. The amplitude and shape of normal waves arising, when blood flows through the artery are determined. Two types of such waves are revealed: zero waves, whose amplitude does not change its sign over the arterial cross-section, and non-zero ones, for which such a change does take place. It is shown that the pulse wave is a wave packet formed by zero normal waves. The non-zero normal waves are found to be localized near the entrance section of the artery, by creating a transition zone whose size is about the arterial radius. The non-zero normal waves are shown to enhance the process of erythrocyte disaggregation in the transition zone.