Validity of an Arterial System Model: A Quantitative Evaluation

The purpose of this investigation was to validate an arterial system model in a quantitative fashion. The model is based on a finite difference solution to the Navier-Stokes equations and retains certain nonlinear features of the system. Rather than apply standard error measures that test waveform correlation, the validation method used relies on the quantification of differences between the model and animals over a wide range of parametric changes. A series of functions was used to define the difference between the dependent variables of the model and corresponding hemodynamic variables of the animals. These functions were displayed as a family of three-dimensional difference surfaces which related the function value to parametric changes of the independent variables. Experimental data from three dogs were compared with model predictions. Regions of validity for the independent variables were then assessed by examining the difference surfaces.