LAUSR

A broad choice of numerical schemes and methods currently exist for blood flow simulations. The end results rely critically on the prescription of boundary conditions. The outflow boundary condition for a 1D flow solver is usually prescribed via a Windkessel or lumped parameter model. The weakness of such an approach is the determination of the parameters. In the present work we use an alternative approach, that is, a reflection coefficient (RC), to lumped parameter models for distal boundary conditions. With such a RC, the number of parameters required is reduced to one. We derive the theoretical foundation for the RC. Specifically we couple a transmission line theory for peripheral resistance with a one dimensional (1D) arterial flow solver. We apply this method to a healthy and a stenosed virtual aorta, and show this method can reproduce some subtle features in arterial pressure propagation, such as the steepened pressure waveform, and the reflection from the stenosed site. In summary the RC parameter has strong physical implications in the theory of wave propagation, and may be used in flow simulations where reflections need to be explicitly modelled. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.