Relations of Radial Vibration of the Arterial Wall to Pulsatile Parameters in Blood Flow for Extraction of Arterial Indices

Abstract

Given the wide utility of radial vibration of the arterial wall for clinical values, this paper presents a theoretical study on the relations of radial vibration of the arterial wall to pulsatile parameters in blood flow. Pulse wave propagation in an artery is formulated as a combination of the governing equations of blood flow and the arterial wall and no-slip conditions at the blood-wall interface, and is analyzed to obtain the wave velocity and the theoretical expressions for blood flow rate and radial wall displacement in terms of pulsatile pressure. With the harmonics of a pulse signal, theoretical relations of radial vibration of the arterial wall to pulsatile parameters in blood flow are derived under two conditions: without and with wave reflection. These theoretical relations identify the assumptions for the simplified relations employed in the utility of radial vibration of the arterial wall for clinical values. With the arterial wall treated as a unit-mass vibration system, these simplified relations are utilized for extraction of arterial indices from radial vibration of the arterial wall. Other applications of such relations for clinical values are discussed, and the interaction between the arterial wall and blood flow is further revealed from the perspective of energy and 1D wave equations. With harmonics and wave reflection considered, the derived theoretical expressions for radial wall vibration, pulsatile parameters in blood flow, and the relations between them provide a theoretical guidance for improving their interpretation for clinical values with clearly-defined physiological implications and assumptions.