Hemodynamics Mosaic
Objectives
- Students will be able to trace the flow of blood through the major “tubes” of the circulatory system and the heart.
- Students will be able to describe the differences between arteries and veins and the function of cardiac and venous valves.
- Students will be able to use the principles of fluid mechanics to describe, investigate, and quantify Hemodynamics.
- Students will be able to analyze pressure patterns from heart catheterization.
- Students will be able to use heart sounds to understand the condition of the heart’s valves.
Description
This module was written with a physics, accelerated physics, AP biology, or anatomy and physiology class in mind. This mosaic leads students through a thorough study of the fluid mechanics principles related to the human circulatory system. The circulatory system’s anatomy is studied. Fundamental measurements and calculations of fluid behavior are developed.
Concepts and Skills
Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathophysiology
- Anatomy of the heart
- Path of blood flow through heart and body
- Cardiac and venous valves
- Blood pressure
- Auscultation of heart sounds
- Calculating cardiac output
- Law of LaPlace
Fluid mechanics
- Pressure
- Density
- Specific Gravity
- Viscosity
- Pascal’s Principle
- Archimedes’ Principle
- Bernoulli’s Equation
- Torricelli’s Theorem
- Conservation of Mass
- Laminar and Turbulent Flow
- Reynold’s Number
- Poiseuille’s Theorem
Biomedical Engineering
- Heart catheterization
- Fick Method
- Swan-Ganz catheter
- Cardiac MRI images as a means of finding heart volumes
- Color Doppler Ultrasound video to see valvular insufficiency
Activities
- Making a flow chart of the pathway of the blood
- Comparing and contrasting the artery and vein
- Designing a text book chapter on the pathway of the blood through the circulatory system
- Quiz on fluid mechanics
- Creating a patient brochure on hypertension
- Analyzing abnormal pressure tracings
Time
This mosaic is expected to take twenty-one 50-minute class periods.