On empirical linear response models of arterial walls

Abstract

Empirical representations of the frequency-dependent effective viscoelastic modulus of arterial walls are considered. The modulus relates arterial radius changes to radial blood pressure changes, assuming linearity. The representations are standard ones, either in terms of creep and stress-relaxation times or in terms of time constants which enter the equations of motion of the walls. Relations among the constants are considered, as are the problems of obtaining information about the constants from experimental data. The work is in the same spirit as that of Westerhof and Noordergraff ( J. Biomechanics 3, 357 (1970)).