Estimation of time constant of left ventricular relaxation.

When the fall in left ventricular pressure during isovolumic relaxation is treated as a monoexponential the rate of relaxation can be measured by a time constant. Though an empirical measurement, the time constant has been used extensively to study relaxation. It can be accepted, however, as a valid measurement only if isovolumic pressure fall approximates very closely to a monoexponential in a wide range of circumstances.