Abstract: A method and system is provided for determining the cardiac contractility of a cardiovascular system. The method includes utilizing values representing stroke volume, preload, and afterload to calculate the cardiac contractility. The calculation may include a mathematical relationship in which the cardiac contractility is represented by a first edge of a tetrahedron, the preload is represented by a second edge of the tetrahedron, the afterload is represented by a third edge of the tetrahedron, and the stroke volume is represented by the volume of the tetrahedron. A display apparatus is also provided. The display apparatus includes a schematic representation of a tetrahedron and indicia indicating that the cardiac contractility, the preload, the afterload, and the stroke volume are represented by mutually distinct parameters of the tetrahedron.

Abstract: A method and system is provided for determining the cardiac contractility of a cardiovascular system. The method includes utilizing values representing stroke volume, preload, and afterload to calculate the cardiac contractility. The calculation may include a mathematical relationship in which the cardiac contractility is represented by a first edge of a tetrahedron, the preload is represented by a second edge of the tetrahedron, the afterload is represented by a third edge of the tetrahedron, and the stroke volume is represented by the volume of the tetrahedron. A display apparatus is also provided. The display apparatus includes a schematic representation of a tetrahedron and indicia indicating that the cardiac contractility, the preload, the afterload, and the stroke volume are represented by mutually distinct parameters of the tetrahedron.

Abstract: Provided are methods of determining the cardiac contractility of a cardiovascular system, which methods comprise a step of utilizing values representing stroke volume, preload, and afterload to calculate the cardiac contractility. Most preferably, the calculation of cardiac contractility utilizes a mathematical relationship where the stroke volume is represented by the volume of a tetrahedron, the preload is represented by a length of the base of the base triangle of the tetrahedron, the afterload is represented by the height of the base triangle of the tetrahedron, and the cardiac contractility is represented by the height of the tetrahedron. Also provided are measurement systems for determining the cardiac contractility of a cardiovascular system that utilize such methods of determining cardiac contractility.