Abstract
The notions of effective length, effective reflection site, and resonance frequency of the arterial system stem from the start of the century. The effective length and effective reflection point describe a system analogous to the arterial tree by a uniform tube with one reflection point. The effective length and related effective reflection site may be obtained from the amplitudes of the various pressure harmonics measured at different locations along the aorta or from the input impedance as a function of frequency. We have studied the concept of effective length in hydraulic models of the systemic arterial tree. A uniform tube with both a frequency-independent load (resistive) and a frequency-dependent load was used. The effective length of a tube with a frequency-independent load is equal to the actual length. In the case of the frequency-dependent load (more resemblance with the arterial tree) the effective length depends on the applied method and is a function of frequency. Therefore, its application for quantitatively computing the stroke volume is doubtful.
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Sipkema, P., Westerhof, N. Effective length of the arterial system. Ann Biomed Eng 3, 296–307 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02390974
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02390974