1 Validation of a Novel Cardiac Index of Left Ventricular Contractility in Patients Liang Zhong 1,2 , Ru-San Tan 2 , Dhanjoo N Ghista 3 , Eddie Yin-Kwee Ng 1 , Leok-Poh Chua 1 , Ghassan S. Kassab 4 1 College of Engineering, School of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; 2 Department of Cardiology, National Heart Centre, Singapore; 3 College of Engineering, School of Chemical & Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University; 4 Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, 204 Rockwell Engineering Center, Irvine, CA, USA Running Head: A Novel LV Contractility Index Mail correspondence to : Ghassan S. Kassab, Ph.D. Department of Biomedical Engineering University of California, Irvine 204 Rockwell Engineering Center Irvine, California 92697-2715 Ph: (949) 824-9490 FAX: (949) 824-1727 E-mail: gkassab@uci.edu Page 1 of 28 Copyright Information Articles in PresS. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol (January 19, 2007). doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00540.2006 Copyright © 2007 by the American Physiological Society.