[In vitro determination of the pressure-diameter relationship and velocity profiles by ultrasonic technics. In vivo application].

A good knowledge of arterial flow mechanics and of the phenomena associated with fluid-boundary interactions is necessary for the determination of some fundamental parameters such as velocity, pressure and pressure-diameter relationship during a cardiac cycle. Ultrasonic techniques were developed on a test bench and directly applied to animals without major modification. On such a test bench allowing a good simulation of physiological type flows, velocity field and pressure-diameter relationship were determined. In vivo application of these techniques allowed a systematic analysis of velocity profiles in the rabbit abdominal aorta and a precise approach of rheological properties of the vascular wall.