Multi-scale parameterisation of a myocardial perfusion model using whole-organ arterial networks.

A method to extract myocardial coronary permeabilities appropriate to parameterise a continuum porous perfusion model using the underlying anatomical vascular network is developed. Canine and porcine whole-heart discrete arterial models were extracted from high-resolution cryomicrotome vessel image stacks. Five parameterisation methods were considered that are primarily distinguished by the level of anatomical data used in the definition of the permeability and pressure-coupling fields. Continuum multi-compartment porous perfusion model pressure results derived using these parameterisation methods were compared quantitatively via a root-mean-square metric to the Poiseuille pressure solved on the discrete arterial vasculature. The use of anatomical detail to parameterise the porous medium significantly improved the continuum pressure results. The majority of this improvement was attributed to the use of anatomically-derived pressure-coupling fields. It was found that the best results were most reliably obtained by using porosity-scaled isotropic permeabilities and anatomically-derived pressure-coupling fields. This paper presents the first continuum perfusion model where all parameters were derived from the underlying anatomical vascular network.