A family of circulatory models developed to analyze the effects produced by VAD and/or mechanical ventilation assistances on haemodynamic variables.

A family of circulatory models was developed in order to analyze the effects produced by ventricular assist devices (VAD). Also the effects induced by mechanical ventilatory assistances (MVA) can be analyzed by haemodynamic and energetic point of view. The numerical simulator of the cardiovascular system, named CARDIOSIM© , was developed at the Laboratory of Cardiovascular Engineering of the Institute of Biomedical Technologies (Italian National Research Council - CNR). This software simulator has a modular structure that consists of seven different general sections that can be assembled in order to reproduce the various physio-pathological conditions. The complexity of the assembled model depends on the context in which must be used. CARDIOSIM© permits to reproduce circulatory phenomena in terms of pressure and volume relationships. The simulator is able to represent the entire circulation using a lumped parameters model (0D model). It permits, on the basis of the Starling's law of the heart, by a variable elastance model, the simulation of the most important circulatory phenomena. In this numerical simulator model were implemented different mechanical circulatory assist devices as well the effects induced by mechanical ventilatory assist devices.