Dependence of elastic modulus on inner pressure of tube wall estimated from measured pulse wave velocity

We have proposed a non-invasive method for diagnosis of the early stage of atherosclerosis, namely, the detection of small vibrations on the aortic wall near the heart by using ultrasound diagnostic equipment. It is, however, necessary to confirm the effectiveness of such measurement of the pulse wave velocity for quantitative evaluation of the local characteristics of atherosclerosis. It is well known that Young's modulus of a tube wall, estimated from measured pulse wave velocity, depends on inner pressure because of the non-linear relationship between the inner pressure and the change of volume in the tube. The inner pressure, however, changes during the period of one heartbeat. In this experimental study, we found for the first time that Young's modulus of the tube wall, estimated from the measured pulse wave velocity, depends not only on the diastolic pressure but also on the pulse pressure and the pressure gradient of the systolic period.