Intramyocardial fluid transport effects on coronary flow and left ventricular mechanics.

An integrated left ventricular (LV) model is used to solve, simultaneously and interactively, the LV mechanics, the coronary blood flow and capillary and interstitial fluid and mass transport, and to analyze the LV behavior under normal as well as pathological conditions. Accounting for the interstitial fluid mass balance in a LV flow-mechanical model allows to determine the LV wall volume in terms of the prevailing mechanical and flow conditions; it allows to uniquely define the flow-mechanical relationship and study pathologies, such as myocardial edema, which are directly related to changes in the myocardial fluid transport and content.