Fundamental Study on Fluid-Structure Interaction Models for Pulse Waveform Analysis Through Blood Vessels

Atherosclerosis is one of the major risk factors for vascular diseases, and its preferable sites suggest that development of atherosclerosis may be related to hemodynamics. The relationship between pulse wave velocity (PWV) and atherosclerosis has long been discussed for non-invasive diagnosis. The evaluation of the measured PWV as a diagnostic indicator for vascular diseases is based on the Moens-Korteweg equation. However, since this theoretical equation is derived based on many ideal assumptions, the evaluation of PWV measured in actual blood vessels using the Moens-Korteweg equation could be uncertain. Therefore, further understanding of the phenomenon of pulse wave propagation is necessary to make PWV a more reliable diagnostic indicator. In this study, to obtain a more reliable diagnostic indicator for atherosclerosis, the evaluation of the measured PWV and changes in pulse waveforms were investigated using a three-dimensional straight cylindrical model of the aorta.