Modeling of time-variant coupling between left ventricle and aorta in cardiac cycle

An analytical model is developed to study the interaction between the left ventricle and vascular system. Ventricular pressure is expressed as a function of the chamber volume, volumetric strain rate, and the degree of activation. A three-element Wind-kessel model is employed to represent the hydraulic properties of the vascular system. Conditions of interaction between the left ventricle and the vascular system are formulated in mathematical terms. Numerical solutions are obtained for the mechanical events occurring during a cardiac cycle as a function of time. The time variations of aortic pressure and ventricular volume predicted by the model compare well with the experimental results of Sunagawa and co-workers [Am. J. Physiol. 243 (Heart Circ. Physiol. 12): H346-H350, 1982, and Am. J. Physiol. 245 (Heart Circ. Physiol. 14): H773-H780, 1983]. Furthermore, the application of the present model to the experimental data has allowed the derivation of the intrinsic contractility parameters in these experiments. The unique features of this analytical model are that 1) it provides the time-variant pressure and volume curves of the left ventricle in relation to the aorta, 2) it generates information on the effects of heart rate on these hemodynamic parameters, and 3) it allows the derivation of intrinsic contractility parameters from experimental data.