Pulsating blood flow in an initially stressed, anisotropic elastic tube: linear approximation of pressure waves.

A mathematical model for pulsating flow of a viscous incompressible fluid in an initially stressed elastic tube with anisotropic structure is developed and an analysis of the propagation of pressure waves is presented. The theoretical model can be applied to the study of blood flow in arteries, and its solution leads to a dispersion equation relating wave number with frequency and the rheological parameters of the wall. Determination of fluid velocities and displacement components is obtained.