In the normal heart muscle, measurements of fiber orientation, patterns of deformation and blood flow have demonstated non-uniform behavior; however, theoretical models of the active heart have not been sophisticated enough to handle the non-linear material properties, large deformations, and the active contractions of the heart muscle. This project will provide the analytical tools needed to understand the influence of regionally non-uniform functions on the behavior of the left ventricle of the heart. New information of stresses and on the range of material properties in normal and abnormal myocardium will be achieved.
