Macroscopic two-pump two-vasculature cardiovascular model to support treatment of acute heart failure.

Comprehensive understanding of hemodynamics remains a challenge even for expert cardiologists, partially due to a lack of an appropriate macroscopic model. We attempted to amend three major problems of Guyton's conceptual model (unknown left atrial pressure, unilateral heart damage, blood redistribution) and developed a comprehensive macroscopic model of hemodynamics that provides quantitative information. We incorporated a third axis of left atrial pressure, resulting in a 3D coordinate system. Pump functions of left and right heart are expressed by an integrated cardiac output curve, and the capacitive function of total vasculature by a venous return surface. The equations for both the cardiac output curve and venous return surface would facilitate precise diagnosis (especially evaluation of blood volume) and choice of appropriate treatments, including application to autopilot systems.