BME 520 Cardiopulmonary Mechanics

The heart and lungs are mechanically dynamic organs. This course will survey the principal mechanisms of mechanical cardiopulmonary function. In the lungs, topics will include pressure-volume curve analysis, surface tension effects, hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction and lung diseases such as neonatal respiratory distress, pulmonary edema, pulmonary hypertension and emphysema. In the cardiovascular system, topics will include the Frank-Starling mechanism, the myogenic response, the end-systolic pressure-volume response, cardiac oxygen consumption, ventricular-arterial coupling, shear stress effects on the vascular endothelium, and ventricular assist devices for Fontan and adult circulations.