Validation of a multi-scale model of the coronary circulation in adult sheep and newborn lambs

We validated a multi-scale model of a left-dominant coronary circulation using high fidelity pressure and flow data acquired in adult sheep and newborn lambs. The model incorporated a one-dimensional representation of the major left conduit coronary arteries, allowing for the study of wave propagation effects. The coronary microvasculature was represented by regional instances of a lumped parameter model consisting of three transmural layers, each with two serial compartments accounting for compliance, resistance and intramyocardial pressure effects. Model inputs comprised measured aortic pressure/flow and ventricular pressure. Minimal data fitting was employed, with only measured mean coronary flow used to iteratively adjust total coronary resistance. The model was adapted to different heart sizes via allometric scaling. Excellent agreement was observed between model and experimental flow waveforms in the proximal circumflex artery, both in terms of the degree of systolic flow impediment and transient waveform features. The proposed multi-scale modelling approach is likely to be useful for studying phasic features of the coronary flow waveform, including coronary waves in different coronary anatomies and throughout development.