The Left HeartBelow is the subsystem that solves the equations for the left heart, which are identical to the right heart.
Figure 1. Simulink block diagram of the left heart.
Physiological notes:Simulation notes:
- PHYSBE's basic left heart model favors the left ventricle, ignoring the lesser flow effects in the left atrium.
- The mitral and aortic valves stop flow to and from the left ventricle, respectively, when the pressure difference across the valve becomes negative (i.e. they are unidirectional valves that prevent backflow).
- Blood temperature is assumed to remain unchanged in the heart, as shown by the unit gain on the temperature vector at the bottom of the block diagram.
- The new Simulink integrator yields better accuracy at the mitral and aortic valves, which are very non-linear.
- The Goto and From blocks F3i and P4 are connections to other circulatory systems where the information flow is opposite of blood flow. Using the Goto and From blocks for these connections allows the connections to be made "below the surface", thereby keeping the main block diagram (physbe) uncluttered and less confusing.
- The Goto block, LHeart, and From blocks, P3i, V3, and P3, allow key input and output information to be passed directly to the Analysis Subsystem, where it can be managed in one central location.
- The line labels are used to keep track of variable information, making the flow of information easier to track.
