Left Ventricular Finite Element Model Bounded by a Systemic Circulation Model

A series of models were developed in which a circulatory system model was coupled to an existing series of finite element (FE) models of the left ventricle (LV). The circulatory models were used to provide realistic boundary conditions for the LV models. This was developed for the JSim analysis package and was composed of a systemic arterial, capillary, and venous system in a closed loop with a varying elastance LV and left atria to provide the driving pressures and flows matching those of the FE model. Three coupled models were developed, a normal LV under normotensive aortic loading (116/80 mm Hg), a mild hypertension (137/89 mm Hg) model, and a moderate hypertension model (165/100 mm Hg). The initial step in the modeling analysis was that the circulation was optimized to the end-diastolic pressure and volume values of the LV model. The cardiac FE models were then optimized to the systolic pressure/volume characteristics of the steady-state JSim circulatory model solution. Comparison of the stress predictions for the three models indicated that the mild hypertensive case produced a 21% increase in the average fiber stress levels, and the moderate hypertension case had a 36% increase in average stress. The circulatory work increased by 18% and 43% over that of the control for the mild and moderate hypertensive cases, respectively.