Regarding the transport phenomena in the cardiovascular system, our interest lies in the ballistocardiography (BCG) technique. It
is a medical technique consisting in measuring, thanks to sensors, the small movements of the body induced by the blood
circulation. It is used in particular on the International Space Station, to monitor the time evolution of the heart health of astronauts.
Measured signals have been shown to be good indicators of the heart function. Nevertheless, quantitative links between
physiological parameters of the heart and the signals measured in BCG have not yet been fully established. In this frame, in collaboration
with the cardiology department of the Erasme Hospital (Dr. Pierre-François Migeotte), we develop the fundamental scientific
knowledge behind BCG. For this, mathematical models of the body movements induced by the blood flow in the arteries are established, by
the combination of fluid mechanics and analytical mechanics approaches. Then, these models are simulated and challenged against BCG
signals obtained on Earth, under well-defined conditions, and on patients for whom certain cardiac parameters have been altered in
a known manner. 


Web site: https://tips-ulb.be/research-topics/physiological-fluids