Brian Carlson, Ph.D.
Department of Bioengineering
"Vascular Mechanics and Modeling of the Circulatory System"
ABSTRACT
Mathematical models are critical to the development and understanding
of the underlying mechanisms governing physiological systems. Some
of the basic concepts of vascular mechanics will be described and examples
of these concepts will be developed into models used to represent the cardiovascular
system. These models can be highly conceptualized, such as the lumped
parameter modeling of the entire cardiovascular system, or can take into
consideration spatial and temporal detail describing mechanisms at the network,
individual vessel or even cellular level.
Modeling of these systems also provides a quantitative construct to compare
to experimental data. These comparisons can then be used to not only
refine the models but aid in providing direction for further experimental
observations of the phenomena in question. In this seminar, vascular
mechanics and models at the whole cardiovascular system, microvascular network
and individual vessel levels will be briefly presented along with possible
applications to the assessment and treatment of diseases such as atherosclerosis,
sickle cell disease and hypertension.