A Low-Cost Fourier-Based Dual-Pump Mock Circulatory Loop for Arterial Pressure Waveform Reproduction

Cardiovascular diseases are among the leading causes of death worldwide, creating a need for reliable hemodynamic testing platforms for cardiovascular device evaluation and therapeutic development. Mock circulatory loops (MCLs) provide effective in vitro platforms for reproducing physiological and pathological pressure conditions; however, many existing systems remain limited in programmability, waveform fidelity, standardization, and affordability. This study presents a cost-effective dual-pump hybrid MCL (hMCL) that independently regulates baseline and pulsatile pressure components using Fourier-based harmonic synthesis. Reference arterial pressure waveforms were decomposed into harmonic components, and their amplitudes, frequencies, and phase shifts were converted into pulse-width-modulation signals for dual-pump actuation. Validation using five physiological and virtual arterial pressure waveform datasets demonstrated MAP errors of ≤1.3%, RMSE values of 9.1–24.1 mmHg, and feature errors ≤ 2.8% for systolic, diastolic, and dicrotic notch pressures. Distribution analysis showed small median pressure differences and low variability across waveform characteristics, while repeated hMCL operation demonstrated pressure variations below 3 mmHg. These findings demonstrate that the proposed Fourier-based hMCL provides an accurate, reproducible, and cost-effective platform for arterial pressure waveform reproduction and early-stage cardiovascular device testing. The present validation is pressure-focused; flow waveform fidelity and pressure–flow interactions were not independently characterized.