Summary: | The aim of this thesis is to develop and study a method for estimation of the pulse pressure in centrally located arteries. Obtaining the central pulse pressure is desirable for several reasons. For example, the central pulse pressure can be used to assess aortic stiffness, which in turn is an important predictor of cardiovascular mortality. In this thesis a method of estimation based on a one--dimensional wave propagation theory applied to a physiological model of the human systemic arterial tree is studied. For the purpose of validation, recorded pressure signals from twenty four control subjects are used. Various methods for individualization of the tree model are discussed, and a method that utilizes an optimization routine is proposed.
|