Relationship Between the Ballistocardiogram and the Movement of Blood from the Left Ventricle in the Dog

Abstract

This study was undertaken to investigate the possible relation between myocardial contractility and the pattern of the head-foot force ballistocardiogram. Dogs previously prepared with implanted aortic flowmeters were studied on a specially constructed ballistocardiograph. A direct relationship was found between the amplitude of the early systolic waves of the ballistocardiogram and myocardial contractility as measured by the peak acceleration of blood from the left ventricle.