Intra aortic balloon computing: observations from a mathematical model and in vivo experiment

The authors examined the dynamics of an intra aortic balloon (IAB) in the aorta and its effect on the hemodynamic response of the cardiovascular system. A mathematical model was developed and in vivo animal experiments were performed. The model describes the balloon inflation and deflation as an aortic-pressure-dependent wavefront. To validate the model, X-ray images and hemodynamic waveforms were acquired from animal experiments using two differently shaped balloons. The model-generated images and hemodynamic data compare very favorably to those taken in vivo. This phenomenon is shown to greatly affect the hemodynamic effectiveness of the IAB. Furthermore, the wavefront and the effectiveness are directly related to balloon length. Thus, short balloons are significantly more effective than long balloons of the same overall volume.