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A mathematical model of the fetal cardiovascular system based on genetic algorithms as identification technique
M Grigioni1, A Carotti, C Daniele
1Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy. Grigioni@sun.iss.it
Insights
This study models the human fetal cardiovascular system to better understand blood flow differences between the upper and lower body. The validated model aids research into congenital heart defects and circulatory support.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Mathematical Modeling
- Fetal Medicine
Background:
- Fetal cardiac surgery requires understanding fetal circulation for congenital heart defect treatment.
- Current methods using vessel resistance indices offer limited physiological insight into fetal hemodynamics.
- Detailed knowledge of upper and lower body circulation differences is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a mathematical model of the human fetal global cardiovascular system.
- To investigate the distinct hemodynamic relationships and blood flow distribution between the fetal upper and lower body.
- To explore the role of the aortic isthmus in fetal circulation.
Main Methods:
- A mathematical model representing the fetal heart with time-varying capacitances and the vascular system with two six-element Windkessel models.
- Genetic Algorithms (GAs) were employed to identify model parameters based on evolutionary principles.
- Model validation was performed by comparing numerical results with experimental measurements and existing literature data.
Main Results:
- A validated mathematical model of the human fetal global cardiovascular system was successfully developed.
- The model allows for the investigation of blood flow distribution differences between fetal upper and lower body vascular districts.
- The model provides insights into the function of the aortic isthmus.
Conclusions:
- The developed model serves as a valuable tool for studying fetal cardiovascular dynamics and congenital heart malformations.
- It can aid in understanding blood flow regulation and the impact of interventions like mechanical circulatory support.
- This model enhances the physiological understanding of fetal hemodynamics beyond simple resistance indices.
Abstract:
The development of fetal cardiac surgery, considered the ultimate goal in the treatment of congenital cardiac malformations, needs to be supported by detailed knowledge of the blood circulation in the fetal cardiovascular system. The hemodynamic behavior in distal territories is usually inferred from vessel resistance indices, which give limited physiological information. This study presents a mathematical model of the human fetal global cardiovascular system, developed to clarify the relationships and differences existing between upper and lower body circulation. We modelled the heart with two time-varying capacitances, each representing the respective ventricle's pressure-volume relationship. The fetal vascular system was represented using two six-element Windkessel models, for the upper and lower body respectively. We obtained the identification of the set of circuital and elastance function parameters of the model using Genetic Algorithms (GAs), which follow the laws of evolutionary theory. We compared the results of our numerical study on the model identified with data collected from measurements and literature, to validate the proposed global cardiovascular system model of the human fetus. This model is intended as an instrument to investigate the differences in blood distribution between the different vascular districts in the upper and lower fetal body and the role of the aortic isthmus, the small tract of vessel connecting upper and lower fetal vascular beds; it may also represent a useful tool in the assessment of dynamic balance during mechanical assistance of circulation.