Lumped parameter modelling of pulmonary venous flow

In order to study the effect of isolated physiological changes on Doppler indices of pulmonary venous flow Thomas´ (1989) fluid dynamics model of mitral valve flow during early filling is extended to pulmonary venous and mitral flow during the complete heart cycle. The model predicts the time course of pressure and velocity in the pulmonary veins and left heart given left atrial and ventricular compliance. A parameter study confirms a strong correlation between pulmonary venous systolic velocity-time integral expressed its a function of total systolic plus early diastolic velocity time integral with preload (r=-0.95; p<0.05). Also the peak E/A ratio correlates strongly with left atrial filling pressure (r=0.98; p<0.05)