| Peripheral pressure pulse wave reflection has been recognized as an important factor in the successful evaluation of cardiovascular system integrity. Due to difficulties of direct measurement and the complex nature of wave reflections, modeling becomes necessary and important. Existing realistic models do not deal with reflection sufficiently and directly, in the sense that a wave is traceable and the resultant waveform can be ascribed to individual reflected waves so that a causal-effect relation can be established between different sites of interests.; In this dissertation study, a frequency domain distributed 58-segment arterial model was constructed for the first time from the reflection perspective to predict pressure waveform that is the combination of a forward propagating waveform and a number of reflected waveforms from any possible sites. The present approach ensures that any reflected waveform can be traced back to its origin, and thus the causal-effect relation is precisely known.; Model parameters including branch reflection coefficient, terminal vascular bed behavior, and wall viscoelasticity were evaluated. Model predicted pressure waveforms were found most sensitive to branch reflection coefficient, and thus the zero-forward branch reflection assumption was adopted. This assumption, as well as pressure wave propagation characteristics, pulse pressure amplification, wall viscoelasticity and reflectionless early systole in the ascending aorta provided by this model found support by other investigators.; Modified Windkessel and resistance-only models were compared to model the terminal bed and differences were insignificant. But resistance-only model is simpler. The computed control case pressure waveforms indicated that this model is able to predict satisfactory realistic pressure waveforms, especially in the upper limbs. For lower limbs, finer segmentation could further improve the predictions.; Stenosis was simulated in the common carotid artery, the renal artery, the abdominal aorta, and the femoral aorta. A critical point of the stenosis size corresponding to a sharp fall in distal pulse pressure was found for all four sites. These results were in good agreement with both experimental findings and other model studies. An additional finding was that, before the critical point, oscillations occurred in the proximal and distal pulse pressures in the abdominal aorta and in the femoral artery. |
