Modeling microvascular networks

The authors describe preliminary results from a 55-branch distributed model of a microvascular network. Linearized equations of motion and continuity for each branch were solved simultaneously to generate the input impedance of the model. Effects of dimensional (length, radii) and structural variations of the network were investigated. The input impedance is insensitive to physiologically reasonable variations of these parameters. The form of the input impedance suggests that the network may be reduced to a three-element Windkessel if global relationships, rather than local perfusion or exchange phenomena, are of interest.<
>