Integration of tension development model with the fiber-fluid model of the heart

Abstract

It is proposed that a tension development model be integrated with the fiber-fluid model of the heart. The current approach used to calculate tension in the fiber-fluid model does not take into consideration the mechanical workings at the cellular level as well as the biochemical reactions behind the actual process of tension development within cardiac cells. It is hoped that the proposed integrated model will provide a more accurate representation of the heart. It will also allow researchers a higher level of control in terms of the number of parameters that can be used to simulate the fiber-fluid model. This paper starts off with a review of various tension development models. After an outline on the fiber-fluid model, the methodology to carry out the integration is given. The suitability of the proposed integration along with the assumptions taken concludes this paper. © 2008 Springer-Verlag.