Assessing endothelial function and providing calibrated UFMD data using a blood pressure cuff
First Claim
1. A method of assessing cardiovascular function in a mammal, said method comprising:
- a) applying external pressure Pm to an artery for a period of time Tm, and determining, over the course of one or more cardiac cycles in said period Tm, changes in pressure in said artery resulting from cardiac activity of said mammal, or an artificially induced arterial pulse, to provide values for a baseline parameter related to endothelial function in said mammal, where said baseline parameter is provided for at least three different external pressures (Pm) by varying the external pressure Pm during period of time Tm, and/or by measuring said baseline parameter over a plurality of time periods Tm having different external pressures (Pm), to provide a plurality of baseline values for said parameter related to cardiovascular function as a function of said external pressure (Pm);
b) applying a stimulus to said mammal; and
c) applying external pressure Pm to an said artery for a period of time Tm, and determining over the course of one or more cardiac cycles in said period Tm, changes in pressure in said artery resulting from cardiac activity of said mammal, or an artificially induced arterial pulse, to provide values for a stimulus-effected parameter related to endothelial function in said mammal, where said stimulus-effected parameter is provided for at least three different external pressures (Pm) by varying the external pressure Pm during period of time Tm, and/or by determining said parameter over a plurality of time periods Tm having different external pressures (Pm), to provide a plurality of stimulus- effected values for said parameter related to cardiovascular function as a function of applied pressure (Pm);
d) determining the area, or a measure proportional to the area, of the arterial lumen calculated from the baseline measured pressures as a function of transmural pressure Ptm, where transmural pressure is determined as the difference between the baseline measured pressures and the external pressure Pm and fitting these data with a first non-linear model to provide a first function describing baseline arterial lumen area as function of transmural pressure;
e) determining the area, or a measure proportional to the area, of the arterial lumen calculated from the stimulus-effected measured pressures as a function of transmural pressure Ptm, where transmural pressure is determined as the difference between the measured stimulus-effected pressures and the external pressure Pm and fitting these data with a second non-linear model to provide a second function describing stimulus-effected arterial lumen area as function of transmural pressure;
f) using said first function to calculate baseline arterial lumen area (Ab) or a measure proportional to the area Ab at a transmural pressure substantially equal to the systolic blood pressure (SBP);
g) using said second function to calculate stimulus-effected arterial lumen area (Ar) or a measure proportional to the area Ar at a transmural pressure substantially equal to the systolic blood pressure; and
h) determining the equivalent ultrasound-based flow mediated dilation (uFMD) measure where uFMD is proportional to the square root of the ratio Ar/Ab, and where said baseline values are determined from measurements made when said mammal is not substantially effected by said stimulus and uFMD provides a measure of cardiovascular function in said mammal.
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus are provided for assessing endothelial function in a mammal. In certain embodiments the methods involve using a cuff to apply pressure to an artery in a subject to determine a plurality of baseline values for a parameter related to endothelial function as a function of applied pressure (Pm); b) applying a stimulus to the subject; and applying external pressure Pm to the artery to determine a plurality of stimulus-effected values for the parameter related to endothelial function as a function of applied pressure (Pm); where the baseline values are determined from measurements made when said mammal is not substantially effected by said stimulus and differences in said baseline values and said stimulus-effected values provide a measure of endothelial function in said mammal.
93 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method of assessing cardiovascular function in a mammal, said method comprising:
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a) applying external pressure Pm to an artery for a period of time Tm, and determining, over the course of one or more cardiac cycles in said period Tm, changes in pressure in said artery resulting from cardiac activity of said mammal, or an artificially induced arterial pulse, to provide values for a baseline parameter related to endothelial function in said mammal, where said baseline parameter is provided for at least three different external pressures (Pm) by varying the external pressure Pm during period of time Tm, and/or by measuring said baseline parameter over a plurality of time periods Tm having different external pressures (Pm), to provide a plurality of baseline values for said parameter related to cardiovascular function as a function of said external pressure (Pm); b) applying a stimulus to said mammal; and c) applying external pressure Pm to an said artery for a period of time Tm, and determining over the course of one or more cardiac cycles in said period Tm, changes in pressure in said artery resulting from cardiac activity of said mammal, or an artificially induced arterial pulse, to provide values for a stimulus-effected parameter related to endothelial function in said mammal, where said stimulus-effected parameter is provided for at least three different external pressures (Pm) by varying the external pressure Pm during period of time Tm, and/or by determining said parameter over a plurality of time periods Tm having different external pressures (Pm), to provide a plurality of stimulus- effected values for said parameter related to cardiovascular function as a function of applied pressure (Pm); d) determining the area, or a measure proportional to the area, of the arterial lumen calculated from the baseline measured pressures as a function of transmural pressure Ptm, where transmural pressure is determined as the difference between the baseline measured pressures and the external pressure Pm and fitting these data with a first non-linear model to provide a first function describing baseline arterial lumen area as function of transmural pressure; e) determining the area, or a measure proportional to the area, of the arterial lumen calculated from the stimulus-effected measured pressures as a function of transmural pressure Ptm, where transmural pressure is determined as the difference between the measured stimulus-effected pressures and the external pressure Pm and fitting these data with a second non-linear model to provide a second function describing stimulus-effected arterial lumen area as function of transmural pressure; f) using said first function to calculate baseline arterial lumen area (Ab) or a measure proportional to the area Ab at a transmural pressure substantially equal to the systolic blood pressure (SBP); g) using said second function to calculate stimulus-effected arterial lumen area (Ar) or a measure proportional to the area Ar at a transmural pressure substantially equal to the systolic blood pressure; and h) determining the equivalent ultrasound-based flow mediated dilation (uFMD) measure where uFMD is proportional to the square root of the ratio Ar/Ab, and where said baseline values are determined from measurements made when said mammal is not substantially effected by said stimulus and uFMD provides a measure of cardiovascular function in said mammal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification