A theoretical model of oscillatory blood flow in arteries

Wave propagation within a thick-walled, compressible, viscoelastic tube containing a polar fluid is studied as a model of oscillatory blood flow in arteries. Describing blood rheology using polar fluid theory allows one to take into account dissipative effects arising from hydrodynamic interactions between red cells. The phase velocity ratio, transmission per wavelength and hydraulic fluid impedance are determined as a function of the frequency parameter for various specified values of fluid and tube parameters. Hydrodynamic interactions between red cells are found to reduce significantly the transmission per wavelength. Futher, it is found that the marked increase in fluid resistance with increasing frequency which is observed experimentally is due, in part, to the dissipative effects of cell-cell interactions.