Effect of Aortic Compliance on Blood Flow

Question 1

What is the diastolic component of blood flow?

Answer 1

Compliance and radial expansion of the vessel walls that occurs during ventricular ejection.

Question 2

Can the aorta store and release energy through the acceleration and deceleration of blood flow?

Answer 2

Yes

Question 3

If you apply a steady pressure through a glass tube and a rubber tube, the flow through each is?

Answer 3

Continuous and identical

Question 4

If you apply square pulses of pressure through a glass tube and a rubber tube, the flow through each is?

Answer 4

Glass tube: instantly rises to maximum pressure and drops instantaneously to minimum pressure at zero.

Rubber tube: gradually dilates, storing a volume of fluid. Therefore, flow rises slowly to maximum value. When there is no pressure during the square pulse, the stored fluid continues to provide flow.

Question 5

In applying square pulses to a rubber tube, is the time-average outflow from the rubber tube higher or lower than that of the glass tube?

Answer 5

Higher

Question 6

The rubber tube in the experiment is analogous to the human body with which structures?

Answer 6

The aorta and large vessels

Question 7

The square pulse of pressure in the experiment is analogous to the human body with which structures?

Answer 7

Ventricular pressure

Question 8

How is the Windkessel model related to compliance?

Answer 8

The compliance of a flexible tube is replaced with compressible air in an inescapable chamber.

Question 9

What is the point of storing fluid by compliant vessels?

Answer 9

To provide more of a continuous flow rather than a square pulse flow.