Physics of Cardiovascular System

Dr. Sefri Noventi Sofia, SpJP, FIHA

Department of Medical Physics
Medical Faculty of Diponegoro University
Physics of cardiovascular system

OBJECTIVE :
Understand the basic rheology principles
into human body and its applicability to
medical issuess
Physics of cardiovascular system
OBJECTIVE :
● Explain basic physics of blood flow
● Ohm’s Law
● Poiseuille’s Law
● Bernoulli’s principles
● Explain factors influencing flow through a
tube (vascular)
● Explain pressure across the vascular wall
● Understand work done by the heart
Vascular system

A closed system that

carry blood from the heart
to the tissues and back
to the heart
The circulatory system is divided:

● The pulmonary circulation

● The systemic circulation

 To understand how the blood can flow
from the heart to microcirculation and
back to the heart, it is important to know:
– hemodynamic Law
– properties of vessels
– vascular regulation
Hemodynamic Law

● Ohm’s law
Hemodynamic Law

● Ohm’s law
Q= ∆P
R

Q : flow rate (volume/time)

∆P : P1-P2 : pressure difference (mmHg)
R : resistance to flow (mmHg x time/volume)
Determinants of Resistance in Laminar Flow – Poiseuille’s Law
Determinants of Resistance in Laminar Flow – Poiseuille’s Law

8ηl
R=
π r4

π = 3.14159 as always
l = tube length
η= fluid viscosity
r = tube radius
Determinants of Resistance in Laminar Flow – Poiseuille’s Law

8ηl
R=
π r4

π = 3.14159 as always
l = tube length
η= fluid viscosity
r = tube radius
ΔP π r4
Q= = (ΔP)
R 8ηl
 Some Implications of Poiseuille’s Law

ΔP π r4 π(ΔP)
Q=
R
=
8ηl
(ΔP) = ( 8ηl ) r4

If ΔP is constant, flow is very sensitive to tube radius

% decrease in radius % decrease in flow

r (10 - r/10)*100 Q/X [1 - (Q/Qr=10)]*100
10 0% 10,000 0%
9 10% 6,561 35%
5 50% 625 94%
1 90% 1 99.99%

π(ΔP)
X=
8ηl
 Resistance to Fluid Flow
The preceding discussion ignored resistance to flow in order to focus on
some basic concepts.

Resistance is important in the Circulatory System.

As fluid passes through a resistance pressure drops.

A resistance dissipates energy, so as the fluid works its way through the
resistance it must give up energy. It gives up potential energy in the form
of a drop in pressure.

P1 P2 P1 > P 2

resistance
Fluid flow ΔP = QR

Pressure

distance
Difference Between Flow and Velocity
 Difference Between Flow and Velocity

Flow is a measure of volume per unit time

Velocity is a measure of distance per second
along the axis of movement
r=4
Velocity = Flow/Cross sectional area
r=2
r=1
Flow velocity
100 ml/sec 100 ml/s

radius (cm) 1 2 4
area (cm2) (πr2) 3.14 12.56 50.24
flow (cm3/sec) 100 100 100
fluid velocity (cm/sec) 32 8 2
Note: This assumes constant flow
 Bernoulli’s principle

• Flow between two point (A & B) is

proportional to the difference of
mechanical energy in A and B
• Mechanical energy= pressure energy +
potential energy + kinetic energy
• When the cross sectional area narrows,
velocity increases, converting pressure
energy to kinetic energy
• When the tube wideness, kinetic energy
is converted back into pressure energy
Blood flow- laminar & turbulent
• Laminar /streamline flow in most blood vessel :
silent.
• Blood contact with the vessel wall stationary, the
layer of blood next to the outside layer is moving
slowly, and successive layers move more rapidly
• If you gradualy increase the velocity of a fluid
flowing in a tube by reducing the radius (r), it will
reach a critical velocity (Vc) → laminar flow
changes into turbulent flow (noisy)
● There are 2 important ways in which blood flow
through any organ can be changed
1. by changing the pressure difference across its
vascular beds
2. by changing its vascular resistance

● Need some pump to keep the pressure within arteries

higher than that within veins

The primary job of

the heart pump
 Pulmonal artery
TDS : 15-25 mmHg
Right atrial pressure Left Atrial pressure
TDD: 8-15 mmHg
0-8 mmHg 4-12 mmHg

Right Ventricle Aorta

TDS : 15-25 mmHg TDS : 110-130 mmHg
TDD: 0-8 mmHg TDD: 70-80 mmHg

Left Ventricle
TDS : 110-130 mmHg
TDD: 4-12 mmHg
Cardiac Electrical System
Phases of the Cardiac Cycle

Diagram Wiggers
THE CARDIAC CYCLE
LATE DIASTOLE
DIASTOLE

ISOMETRIC
VENTRICULAR
RELAXATION ATRIAL
SYSTOLE

VENTRICULAR EJECTION ISOMETRIC VENTRICULAR

CONTRACTION
Cardiac Performance
Determinants of Stroke Volume

✓Preload
✓Afterload
✓Contractility
Preload

● Preload is the load (stretch, filling) on the

ventricle before ejection

● Preload is regulated by venous return to the

heart

●Frank-Starling’s Law : stroke volume

increases as cardiac filling increases
→ An increase in preload leads to an increase
in stroke volume
Afterload

● Definition: The load against which the

LV ejects after the opening of the aortic
valve

● Simple measure of afterload: mean

arterial pressure
Cardiac Contractility

● Definition: Contractile capability of the

heart

● Simple measure of cardiac contractility:

ejection fraction

● Cardiac contractility is increased by

sympathetic stimulation
Pressure across the vascular wall and cardiac
chamber

● Law of La Place

T=Pr
2h

T : Tension / Work
P : Pressure
r : Radius
h : Thickness
Work done by the heart

● The work (W) done a pump working at a

constant pressure P is equal to the product of
the pressure and the volume pumped (V)
W = P . ∆V

● During strenous work the blood pressure may

rise by 50% and the blood volume pumped
perminute may increase 5x, leading to an
increase of 7,5x in the work done by the heart
per minute
Heart Rate

● Heart rate is regulated by the sympathetic

and parasympathetic nervous system
● Heart rate can increase by 300% during
exercise whereas stroke volume can only
increase by 50%
● At rest, an athlete has a slow heart rate and
large stroke volume
● At rest, a non-athlete has a fast heart rate and
low stroke volume
 ANY
QUESTIONS??