A Cardiovascular Simulator for Research 1.0.0

File: <base>/README (2,947 bytes)
INTRODUCTION

RCVSIM is a human cardiovascular simulator intended to facilitate
cardiovascular research by complementing experimental data studies.
The data generated by RCVSIM may be conveniently analyzed with the
WFDB software package provided by PhysioNet.  The data generated by
RCVSIM may be viewed as they are being calculated (on-line viewing)
or after they have been calculated (off-line viewing) with the WAVE
display system (which is also provided by PhysioNet) and Gnuplot.
RCVSIM is open-source software that is extensively commented and may
be executed at the Linux and MATLAB prompts.  RCVSIM is capable of
generating reasonable human pulsatile hemodynamic waveforms, cardiac 
function and venous return curves, and beat-to-beat hemodynamic 
variability.

INSTALLATION

Read the file INSTALL in the same directory.

EXECUTION

Once installed, the RCVSIM software may be executed as follows.

At the Linux prompt (MATLAB need NOT be installed):

1) Copy file bin/parameters.def to your working directory.
2) Type rcvsim -h for help at Linux prompt. 

(NOTE 1: Prior to execution of rcvsim with on-line viewing option, set
         the time duration displayed by the WAVE window to the value that
	 you assigned to the window parameter in the parameters.def file
	 in your working directory.  This can be accomplished by
         resizing the WAVE window and/or adjusting the Time variable
	 (click VIEW option at the top of the WAVE menu bar)).

(NOTE 2: If rcvsim is executed with on-line viewing option and the WAVE
         window does not appear.  Control-C to exit execution, delete
         all .wave.uid.pid files in the /tmp directory, and re-run
         rcvsim.)

Or, at the MATLAB prompt:

1) Copy file bin/header_def.m to your working directory.
2) Launch MATLAB.
3) Type help simulate for help at MATLAB prompt.
   (Assign input parameter vector, by typing th=header_def.)

Note that parameters.def and header_def.m can be copied to
arbitrary file names.

COMPILATION

1) Acquire and install MATLAB and MATLAB compiler version 1.2
   and the libc5 development library 
   (see http://www.mathworks.com/support/solutions/data/11129.shtml).
2) Lauch MATLAB from this directory.
3) Type cd src at MATLAB prompt
4) Type make at MATLAB prompt to create new rcvsim executable.
5) Type makem at MATLAB prompt to create new simulate.mexlx executable.
 
(NOTE 1: If the source code is recompiled in Linux, no reinstallation is
         necessary after compiling.)

(NOTE 2: It is possible to compile the source code with  the MATLAB
         compiler (version 2.1).  However, the binaries generated 
	 from this compiler are on the order of three magnitudes slower
	 than those generated with the version 1.2 compiler.  Mathworks
	 is currently trying to improve the version 2.1 compiler, so
	 it may be possible, in the future, to use this compiler.)

DOCUMENTATION

See doc/manual.ps for the User's Manual and Software Guide.