Cardiovascular Biophysics Laboratory

Washington University, School of Medicine

 

Cardiovascular Division
Department of Internal Medicine
Program in Cell Biology and Physiology
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Department of Physics

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The Cardiovascular Biophysics Laboratory employs both interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary methods encompassing selected aspects of engineering, physics, physiology, clinical cardiology, and the biomedical sciences. The overall goal is to solve basic and applied problems in physiology and medicine that have translational potential using causal, rather correlative methodologies. We thereby seek to advance the frontiers of diagnosis and therapy, as well as to serve as an environment for trainees (undergraduate, graduate, medical students, cardiology fellows and post-docs) to acquire and master concepts, to advance the state of knowledge by model-based prediction of 'new' physiology from first principles, and  participate in physiologic data acquisition and analysis.

Areas of interest include:

  • Theoretical (mathematical) biology and physiology.

  • Characterization of physical properties of cardiovascular tissue

  • Maximal information extraction from in-vivo physiologic signals

  • Mathematical modeling of cardiovascular function

  • Nonlinear dynamics, thermodynamics and optimization principles of cardiovascular unction

  • Development of new technology for imaging and physiologic signal acquisition and processing

Imaging and signal acquisition modalities include multi transducer, micromanometric conductance catheter based cardiac catheterization, ventriculography and angiography, echocardiography, and cardiovascular MRI.

     

       

    

Our Work in the Popular Press

How do you measure a broken heart? (June 14, 2006)

YouTube interview with Dr.Kovács. (Jan 8, 2008)

Eat less or exercise more? (Jan 10, 2008)

Man of Heart (May 1, 2008)

 

Recent Publication
from Cardiovascular Biophysics Laboratory

2011:

1). Ghosh E, Kovács SJ. Spatio-temporal attributes of left ventricular pressure decay rate during isovolumic relaxation. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2011. (In Press)

2). Mossahebi S, Kovács SJ. Kinematic Modeling-based Left Ventricular Diastatic (Passive) Chamber Stiffness Determination with In-Vivo Validation. Annals BME. 2011. (In Press)

3). Lloyd CW, Shmuylovich L, Holland MR, Miller JG, Kovács SJ. The diastolic function to cyclic variation of myocardial ultrasonic backscatter relation: the influence of parametrized diastolic filling (PDF) formalism determined chamber properties. Ultrasound Med. Biol. 37(8): 1185-95, 2011. [Full Text]

4). Mossahebi S, Shmuylovich L, Kovács SJ. The thermodynamics of diastole: kinematic modeling based derivation of the P-V loop to transmitral flow energy relation, with in-vivo validation. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 300: H514-H521, 2011. [Full Text]

5). Kovács SJ. How the (pediatric) heart works when it contracts: Application of LV 'isovolumic acceleration' as a load-independent index of contractility. J Am Coll Cardiol. 57: 1108-1110, 2011. [Full Text]

2010:

1). Ghosh E, Shmuylovich L, Kovács SJ. The vortex formation time to left ventricular early, rapid filling relation: model based prediction with echocardiographic validation. J Appl Physiol. 109(6): 1812-1819, 2010. [Abstract]

2). Zhang W, Shmuylovich L, Kovács SJ. The E-wave delayed relaxation pattern to LV pressure contour relation: model-based prediction with in vivo validation. Ultrasound Med. Biol. 36(3): 497-511, 2010. [Full Text]

3). Shmuylovich L, Chung CS, Kovács SJ. Last word on point: Counterpoint: Left ventricular volume during diastasis is the physiological in vivo equilibrium volume and is related to diastolic suction. J Appl Physiol. 109(2): 615, 2010. [Full Text]

4). Shmuylovich L, Chung CS, Kovács SJ. Point: Left ventricular volume during diastasis is the physiological in vivo equilibrium volume and is related to diastolic suction. J Appl Physiol. 109(2): 606-608, 2010. [Full Text]

2009:

1). Zhang W, Shmuylovich L, Kovács SJ. The Pressure Recovery Ratio: The Invasive Index of LV Relaxation During Filling. Model Model-based Prediction With in in-Vivo Validation. Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2009:3940-3943, 2009. [Full Text]

2). Shmuylovich L, Kovács SJ. Automated method for calculation of a load-independent index of isovolumic pressure decay from left ventricular pressure data. Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2009:3031-4, 2009. [Full Text]

3). Ghosh E, Shmuylovich L, Kovács SJ. Determination of early diastolic LV vortex formation time (T*) via the PDF formalism: a kinematic model of filling. Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2009:2883-6, 2009. [Full Text]

4). Zhang W, Kovács SJ. The Age Dependence of Left Ventricular Filling Efficiency. Ultrasound Med Biol. 35: 1076-1085, 2009. [Full Text]

5). Appleton CP, Kovács SJ. The Role of Left Atrial Function in Diastolic Heart Failure. Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging. 2009;2:6-9. [Full Text]

2008:

1). Shmuylovich L, Kovács SJ. Stiffness and relaxation components of the exponential and logistic time constants may be used to derive a load-independent index of isovolumic pressure decay. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 295(6): H2551-9, 2008. [Full Text]

2). Zhang W, Chung CS, Shmuylovich L, Kovács SJ. Last Word on Viewpoint: Is Left Ventricular Volume during Diastasis the Real Equilibrium Volume and What Is Its Relationship to Diastolic Suction? J Appl Physiol, 105: 1019, 2008. [Full Text]

3). Zhang W, Chung CS, Shmuylovich L, Kovács SJ. Viewpoint: Is Left Ventricular Volume During Diastasis the Real Equilibrium Volume and, What is its Relationship to Diastolic Suction? J Appl Physiol, 105: 1012-1014, 2008. [Full Text]

4). Kovács SJ, Shmuylovich L, Zhang W. Imaging the motion of the heart with echocardiography: advanced technology provides deeper insights into physiology and diastolic function. MedicaMundi. 52: 31-36, 2008.

5). Chung CS, Kovács SJ. The physical determinants of left ventricular isovolumic pressure decline: Model-based prediction with in-vivo validation. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2008;294:H1589-H1596. [Full Text]

6). Riordan MM, Weiss EP, Meyer TE, Ehsani AA, Racette SB, Villareal DT, Fontana L, Holloszy JO, and Kovács SJ. The Effects of Caloric Restriction- and Exercise-Induced Weight Loss on Left Ventricular Diastolic Function. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2008;294:H1174-82. [Abstract]

7). Riordan MM, Kovács SJ. Elucidation of spatially distinct compensatory mechanisms in diastole: radial compensation for impaired longitudinal filling in left ventricular hypertrophy. J Appl Physiol. 2008;104:513-520. [Full Text]

8). Zhang W, Kovács SJ. The Diastatic Pressure-Volume Relationship Is Not the Same as the End-Diastolic Pressure-Volume Relationship. Am J Physiol.294: 2750-2760, 2008. [Full Text]

9). Boskovski M, Shmuylovich L, Kovács SJ. Transmitral Flow Velocity-Contour Variation After Premature Ventricular Contractions: A Novel Test of the Load-Independent Index of Diastolic Filling. Ultrasound Med Biol. 34(12): 1901-1908, 2008. [Abstract]

2007:

1). Chung CS, Kovács SJ. Pressure Phase-Plane Based Determination of the Onset of Left Ventricular Relaxation. Cardiovasc Eng. 7:162-171, 2007. [Abstract]

2). Riordan MM, Kovács SJ. Stiffness and Relaxation-based Quantitation of Radial Left Ventricular Oscillations: Elucidation of Regional Diastolic Function Mechanisms. J Appl Physiol. 2007;102:1862-1870. [Full Text]

3). Riordan MM, Kovács SJ. Absence of Diastolic Mitral Annular Oscillations is a Marker for Relaxation-related Diastolic Dysfunction. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2007;292:H2952-H2958. [Full Text]

4). Shmuylovich L, Kovács SJ. E-wave Deceleration Time May Not Provide an Accurate Determination of Left Ventricular Chamber Stiffness if Left Ventricular Relaxation/Viscoelasticity is Unknown. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2007;292: H2712-H2720. [Full Text]

5). Zhang W, Chung CS, Riordan MM, Wu Y, Shmuylovich L, Kovács SJ. The Kinematic Filling Efficiency Index of the Left Ventricle: Contrasting Normal vs. Diabetic Physiology. Ultrasound Med. Biol., 2007;33:842-850. [Full Text]

2006:

1). Wu Y, Yu Y, Kovács SJ. Contraction-Relaxation Coupling Mechanism Characterization in the Thermodynamic Phase-Plane: Normal vs. Impaired Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction. J App Physiol, 2006;102: 1367-1373. [Full Text]

2). Zhang W, Chung CS, Kovács SJ. Derivation and Left Ventricular Pressure Phase Plane Based Validation of a Time Dependent Isometric Crossbridge Attachment Model. Cardiovascular Engineering. 2006;6:132-144 . [Full Text]

3). Chung CS, Strunc A, Oliver R, Kovács SJ. Diastolic ventricular-vascular stiffness and relaxation relation: elucidation of coupling via pressure phase plane-derived indexes. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2006;291(5):H2415-23. [Full Text]

4). Wu Y, Kovács SJ. Frequency-based analysis of the early, rapid-filling pressure-flow relation elucidates diastolic efficiency mechanisms. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2006;291: H2942-H2949. [Full Text]

5). Riordan MM, Kovács SJ. Relationship of pulmonary vein flow to left ventricular short-axis epicardial displacement in diastole: model-based prediction with in vivo validation. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2006;291(3):H1210-5. [Full Text]

6). Shmuylovich L, Kovács SJ. A load-independent index of diastolic filling: model-based derivation with in-vivo validation in control and diastolic dysfunction subjects. Journal of Applied Physiology, 2006;101: 92-101. [Full Text]

7). Chung CS, Ajo DM, Kovács SJ. The Isovolumic Pressure to Early Rapid Filling Decay Rate Relation: Model-based Derivation and Validation Via Simultaneous Catheterization-Echocardiography. Journal of Applied Physiology 2006;100:528 - 534. [Full Text]

8). Meyer TE,  Kovács SJ,  Ehsani AA, Klein S, Holloszy JO, Fontana L. Long-term Caloric Restriction Slows Cardiac Aging in Humans. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 2006; 47:398-402. [Full Text]

9). Chung CS,  Kovács SJ. Consequences of Increasing Heart Rate on Deceleration Time, Velocity Time Integral, and E/A.  American Journal of Cardiology. 2006;97:130-136. [Full Text]

10). Riordan MM, Kovács SJ. Quantitation of Mitral Annular Oscillations and Longitudinal "Ringing" of the Left Ventricle: A New Window into Longitudinal Diastolic Function. J Appl Physiol 2006 Jan;100:112 - 119. [Full Text]