Cardiovascular Interactions
A.Y. 2023/2024
Course offered to students on the PhD programme in
Visit the PhD website for the course schedule and other information
Lead instructor: Matteo Maria Pecchiari
The complex behaviour of the cardiovascular system is mainly due to A) the multiple interactions between its parts, that is the right and left heart and the systemic and pulmonary circulations, B) a host of regulatory mechanisms heavily conditioning the behaviour of the system, and C) cardiopulmonary interaction. This course will focus on point A), dealing with the mechanical behaviour of the cardiovascular system as a whole considered as a system of compliant tubes with certain resistive properties in which blood flow is produced by two pumps.
The students will learn how to model the systemic and the pulmonary circulation as systems of compliances and resistances in series, and the ventricles as preload- and afterload-dependent pumps. The overall behaviour of the systemic circulation and of the heart-lungs will be described in terms of vascular and cardiac function curves according to Guyton's conceptual framework.
Using these tools, the students will try to predict the behaviour of the system in a number of situations, and compare their predictions with the output of a cardiovascular simulator. The result of the comparisons will then be discussed.
Practically, 2 hours will be dedicated to heart mechanics, 4 to vascular mechanics, 2 to the description of the simulator and the rest of the hours will be used by the students to run the simulator and to discuss the results.
The students will learn how to model the systemic and the pulmonary circulation as systems of compliances and resistances in series, and the ventricles as preload- and afterload-dependent pumps. The overall behaviour of the systemic circulation and of the heart-lungs will be described in terms of vascular and cardiac function curves according to Guyton's conceptual framework.
Using these tools, the students will try to predict the behaviour of the system in a number of situations, and compare their predictions with the output of a cardiovascular simulator. The result of the comparisons will then be discussed.
Practically, 2 hours will be dedicated to heart mechanics, 4 to vascular mechanics, 2 to the description of the simulator and the rest of the hours will be used by the students to run the simulator and to discuss the results.
A basic knowledge of the principles of hemodynamics and some knowledge of Excel can facilitate learning. However a summary of the necessary notions of cardiovascular physiology will be discussed at the beginning of the course.
Mandatory for students of Phd Program in Translational Medicine at their second year.
Mandatory for students of Phd Program in Translational Medicine at their second year.
Assessment methods
Giudizio di approvazione
Assessment result
superato/non superato
How to enrol
Deadlines
The course enrolment deadline is usually the 27th day of the month prior to the start date.
How to enrol
- Access enrolment on PhD courses online service using your University login details
- Select the desired programme and click on Registration (Iscrizione) and then on Register (Iscriviti)
Ignore the option "Exam session date” that appears during the enrolment procedure.
Contacts
For help please contact [email protected]
Professor(s)
Reception:
by prior appointment, arranged by e-mail
Dipartimento di Fisiopatologia Medico-Chirurgica e dei Trapianti, sezione di Fisiologia, via L. Mangiagalli 32