Numerical Simulation of Cardiovascular Response with VAD Support

paper studies the cardiovascular response under heart failure condition supported by two types of ventricular assist devices (VADs): the positive displacement pump and the impeller pump. The cardiovascular system is modeled using the concentrated parameter method developed previously, by considering flow resistance, vessel elasticity and inertial effects of blood in individual conduit segments. The dynamic modeling of displacement and impeller pumps is represented by VAD inlet/outlet flow-rate changes. Results show that in each simulation, the diseased ventricle is effectively unloaded, and the physiological variables of arterial pressure and systemic flow are adequately maintained. The numerical model is under further development for more sophisticated studies of the interaction of the native cardiovascular system with VAD support and other cardiac prosthetic devices. Subscripts 0 Initial value; offset value ao Aortic valve i Inlet la Left atrium lv Left ventricle mi Mitral valve o Outlet p Pulse par Pulmonary arterioles pas Pulmonary artery sinus pat Pulmonary artery pcp Pulmonary capillary po Pulmonary valve pvn Pulmonary vein ra Right atrium rv Right ventricle sar Systemic arterioles sas Systemic aortic sinus sat Systemic artery scp Systemic capillary svn Systemic vein ti Tricuspid valve vad Ventricular assist device T1 Beginning instance of T wave in ECG signal T2 Ending instance of T wave in ECG signal