Modeling the magnetic disturbance of pulsatile blood flow in a static magnetic field

Non-invasive continuous monitoring of blood flow may be particularly valuable for early detection of different anomalies such as hypovolemia and internal bleeding. Recent studies have demonstrated the potential clinical benefits of photo-plethysmography in detecting hypovolemia before the onset of cardiovascular decompensation. The magnetic sensing method bears advantages of size, weight, and cost along with less stringent body placement rules. In this work, a detailed three-dimensional mathematical model for the acquisition of the ventricular response using the disturbance created by magnetized blood undergoing a stationary permanent magnet is presented. The proposed model accounts for the different magnetic properties of the blood such as the relaxation time and the magnetic saturation. The blood flow is simulated by means of Navier-Stocks equations with pulsatile inlet pressure. The blood is assumed to be in the deoxygenated state and has a diamagnetic properties. Moreover, a moving mesh technique is implemented in the Finite-Element model to represent the idle and the moving states of the blood which provides the capability to model the magnetized blood as a moving magnet. The simulated magnetic field at different sensor locations is found to be in good agreement with experimental observations from the literature. The presented model can provide basis for understanding the magnetic modulated blood signal as well as the practical constraints that might be encountered in the design of such devices.