Mathematical Sciences - Colloquium

The Instantaneous Pressure-Volume
Relationship of the Left Ventricle


Professor Scott A. Stevens
University of Montana

Much information about cardiac output and efficiency may be obtained from the instantaneous pressure-volume curve associated with the left ventricle. In this talk I will describe this curve at the various stages of the cardiac cycle and its relevance in ongoing research at the International Heart Institute of Montana. A major hurdle in such research is the difficulty in measuring and/or accurately approximating ventricular volume. Most techniques are either very intrusive or inaccurate. As a way of testing volume approximation techniques, comparisons are made with very accurate approximations of ventricular volume differences during systole. It turns out that the technique for testing the volume approximations may be more valuable to the medical community than the approximations themselves.

Thursday, 18 April 2002
4:10 p.m. in Math 109
Coffee/treats at 3:30 p.m. Math 104 (Lounge)


Spring 2002 Colloquium Schedule | Mathematical Sciences | The University of Montana