Agent-based modeling and simulation of blood vessels in the cardiovascular system

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to develop a model to simulate the behavior of the human cardiovascular system for use in medical education. The proposed model ensures that the output of the system is accurately represented in both equilibrium conditions and imbalance conditions including in the presence of adaptive agents. In this study, field experts develop an agent-based blood vessel model, i.e., a submodel for the stated purpose. In the proposed blood vessel model, vessels are represented by agents whereas blood flow is represented by the interaction between agents. Adaptive behavior shown by vessels in terms of resistance to the blood flow is defined by the agents' properties, which are used as the basis for calculating and graphically representing the physical parameters of blood flow, specifically blood pressure, blood flow velocity, and the resistance of the vessel. The adaptation of the vessel agents is supported by a case study, which demonstrates the adaptive behavior of the blood vessel agents through a negative feedback control mechanism. The blood vessel model proposed is flexible in nature such that it can be adapted to account for the behavior of the vessel sections in any vascular structure.

Arteriyal Kan Basınç Sinyallerinin Elektriksel Analojisi

“…The mean arterial blood pressure curve during a cardiac cycle is shown in Figure 2. (Guyton and Hall, 2006) In Figure 2, the minimum pressure is between 60 and 89 mmHg and the maximum is between 100 and 140 mmHg (Bora et al, 2017).…”

“…CVS can be described as a closed circuit model which consists of the heart (cardio) and blood vessels (vascular). CVS provides blood circulation within the body through the blood vessels (Guyton and Hall, 2006;Marieb and Hoehn, 2010;Bora et al, 2017). The heart is an important vital component of CVS.…”

“…Capillaries are the smallest vessels where diffusion occurs between blood and cells in tissues. Venous system involves veins, like the vena cava and pulmonary veins that carry oxygen-poor blood back to the heart (Guyton and Hall, 2006;Jahangir, 2016;Bora et al, 2017). The oxygen-rich blood pumped from the artery is transported to the tissues and organs through the capillaries from the arterial system, where the circulation of the oxygen-poor blood through the venous system is defined as systemic circulation (Figure 1).…”

“…Human physiology includes major systems that maintain vital functions. The human cardiovascular system (CVS) is one of the major systems of physiology that it consists of the heart and vascular system (Guyton and Hall, 2006;Bora et al, 2017). Various modeling techniques of different disciplines are used to explain dynamics of CVS, such as blood pressure, blood flow, blood flow velocity, blood volume, etc.…”

“…Various modeling techniques of different disciplines are used to explain dynamics of CVS, such as blood pressure, blood flow, blood flow velocity, blood volume, etc. Behavior of CVS is tried to be modeled by techniques, such as fluid mechanics (Olufsen, 2001), electrical circuit model (Westerhof et al, 2009;Fazeli and Hahn, 2012;Kokalari et al, 2013), computer based modeling (Bora et al, 2017;Al-Jaafreh et al, 2005), control theory (Wu et al, 2005), mathematical and numerical modeling (Quarteroni et al, 2002).…”