Historical Background and
Book
Contents
9
the vascular structure and function.
These include
laser-Doppler
velocimeter, multi-sensor pressure-velocity catheter, magnetic resonance
imaging and
intravascular
ultrasonic
imaging. There
are
also
advancements in the development of interventional devices, such as local
drug delivery catheter, laser- or balloon-angioplasty catheter, vascular
stents and grafts. Many of these have been used for the assessment and
treatment of vascular hypertrophy, stenosis and aneurysm, hypertension
and atherosclerosis.
1.4
Book
Contents
This book deals primarily with the dynamic behavior of the components
of the vascular system and methods and techniques for their quantitative
measurements. The book was written applying fundamental physical
principles in conjunction
with
physiological
measurements to the
analysis of the structural and functional aspects of the vascular tree that
includes the arterial circulation, the venous circulation,
and
the
microcirculation,
inclusive
of
arterioles, capillaries and venules. In
addition, the constituent components, such as collagen, elastin, smooth
muscle, and endothelial and red blood cells as well as transport
phenomena are also discussed. Quantitative approaches are emphasized
in the overall treatment.
In Chapter
2,
modern concepts of vascular biology are illustrated.
This begins with the anatomical organization of the vascular tree. Major
branches of the aorta and some arteries at similar anatomic sites in some
mammalian species, such as human, dog and rats, are described. These
latter
are
common
mammalian
species
where
experimental
measurements and data are most frequently collected.
Geometric
nonuniformities in terms of tapering and branching of the vessels are
quantified.
The fractal
nature of the vascular tree can be well
appreciated from some of the illustrations. The distributing channels and
networking environment are illustrated.
Examination of structural properties allows us to differentiate the
mechanical and functional
characteristics of various vessels. This
includes the nonuniformities in elasticity reflected in the content and
organization of the walls of the various blood vessels. Constituent
