Computational Analysis of Cardiovascular Hemodynamics

The human body requires a complex circulatory system to supply nutrients to, and to remove metabolic waste products from, its tissues. Given this primary purpose, circulatory function is closely related to the hemodynamic characteristics of blood vessels. This includes not only macroscale fluid dynamics, but also mass transfer in the microvasculature. Many experimental and clinical studies have examined these characteristics of vascular function. Over the past 50 years, mathematical modeling has become a powerful adjunct to such studies, as modeling provides a rational framework within which to analyze the cardiovascular system. Many mathematical models of the cardiovascular system have been developed since Grodins [1] published the first system-level dynamic cardiovascular model in 1959. Today, models of cardiovascular function exist on nearly every biological time and length scale. The design of such models naturally depends on the purpose of the underlying scientific questions, and the methodologies employed vary accordingly. Some subjects that have been extensively studied include hemodynamic models of specific vascular beds, such as the coronary or cerebral circulation [2]; the distributed impedance of the arterial and pulmonary trees [3]; lumped models of the integrated cardiovascular system [4]; detailed models of the fluid-structure interaction in specific vascular beds [5]. This special issue focuses on physiological and computational issues as they relate to the development of vascular models.