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Optimal Control Theory Applied To A Difference Equation Model Of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, Eunok Jung, Charles F. Babbs, Suzanne Lenhart, Vladimir A. Protopoescu

Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Objective: To apply the mathematical techniques of optimal control theory (OCT) to a validated model of the human circulation during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), so as to discover improved waveforms for chest compression and decompression that maximize the systemic perfusion pressure (SPP). Methods: The human circulatory system is represented by seven difference equations, which describe the pressure changes in systemic vascular compartments caused by chest compression. The forcing term is the intrathoracic pressure generated by the external chest compression, which is taken as the “control” variable for the system. The optimum waveform of this forcing pressure as a function of time, …