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Generic and patient-specific models of the arterial tree

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Abstract

Recent advance in imaging modalities used frequently in clinical routine can provide description of the geometrical and hemodynamical properties of the arterial tree in great detail. The combination of such information with models of blood flow of the arterial tree can provide further information, such as details in pressure and flow waves or details in the local flow field. Such knowledge maybe be critical in understanding the development or state of arterial disease and can help clinicians perform better diagnosis or plan better treatments. In the present review, the state of the art of arterial tree models is presented, ranging from 0-D lumped models, 1-D wave propagation model to more complex 3-D fluid–structure interaction models. Our development of a generic and patient-specific model of the human arterial tree permitting to study pressure and flow waves propagation in patients is presented. The predicted pressure and flow waveforms are in good agreement with the in vivo measurements. We discuss the utility of these models in different clinical application and future development of interest.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the by the European Commission contract no. IST-027703@neurIST Project and by the Center for Biomedical Imaging (CIBM) of the Geneva-Lausanne Universities, the EPFL and the University Hospitals of Geneva and Lausanne. Special thanks go to Prof. Jean-Claude Chevrolet for his clinical expertise.

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  1. Laboratory of Hemodynamics and Cardiovascular Technology, EPFL / STI / IBI2 / LHTC, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, BM 5128, Station 17, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Philippe Reymond, Orestis Vardoulis & Nikos Stergiopulos

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  1. Philippe Reymond
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  2. Orestis Vardoulis
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  3. Nikos Stergiopulos
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Correspondence to Philippe Reymond.

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Reymond, P., Vardoulis, O. & Stergiopulos, N. Generic and patient-specific models of the arterial tree. J Clin Monit Comput 26, 375–382 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10877-012-9382-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10877-012-9382-9

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