Cardiovascular Biomechanics

Peter Hoskins is professor of medical physics and biomechanics. He trained in Physics and has spent 30 years in developing new methods for diagnosis in arterial disease. This initially involved imaging-only methods including ultrasound and MRI. In the late 1990s, realising the limitations of imaging-only methods he developed a parallel research activity involving the integration of 3D medical imaging (ultrasound, CT, MRI) with computational modelling. Unusually in this area Hoskins comes into biomechanics from an imaging background rather than a modelling background, and from a patient care background rather than a pure fluid/solid mechanics background. Hoskins set up an MSc in biomechanics which has been live since 2011 and the MSc is now in its second year. He has written 41 first author peer-reviewed journal articles and 21 first author chapters. He was lead editor on three books including a major textbook (Diagnostic Ultrasound - Physics and equipment) which is in its second edition (2009). He has also been principal editor on three journal special issues including two recent; one on ultrasound elastography and the other on patient specific modelling. Pat Lawford is Professor of Physiological Modelling. She has spent 35 years in cardiovascular biomechanics including experimental techniques and modelling and is centrally involved in recent efforts in the 'Virtual Physiologic Human' project. She is a biologist by training and brings that understanding to her work in biomechanics. This biological background will complement the physics and engineering background of the co-editors. She has extensive teaching experience. This includes 25 years' experience in MSc teaching to medical physics including 15 years as programme director. She is currently involved in leading postgraduate taught courses within the Faculty of Medicine. She is also a member of a new Institute for in-silico measurement (Insigneo) where she is involved in developing postgraduate taught courses.

Introduction to fluid and solid mechanics.- Introduction to biomechanics of the cardiovascular system.- Blood and blood flow.- Arterial biomechanics I. Pressure, flow and stiffness.- Arterial biomechanics II. Forces, adaptability and mechanotransduction.- Excitation-contraction in the heart.- Biomechanics of the venous system.- Biomechanics of the microcirculation.- Medical imaging.- Modelling of the cardiovascular system.- Patient specific modelling.- Flow phantoms.- Measurement of the mechanical properties of biological tissues.- Hypertension.- Atherosclerosis.- Aneurysms.- Cardiovascular prostheses.- Appendix 1: Questions.- Appendix 2: Glossary.- Index.