Interactive measurement system

• US 20030033095A1
• Filed: 05/23/2002
• Published: 02/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: St. Jude Medical Coordination Center BVBA (Abbott Laboratories)
• Original Assignee: Radi Medical Systems AB (Abbott Laboratories)
• Inventors: Smith, Leif, Svanerudh, Johan
• Granted Patent: US 6,754,608 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/45
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/028 by thermo-dilution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick

Abstract

A method to assist an operator of an interactive measurement system for determining flow related parameters based upon physiological signals obtained by a measurement unit that comprises a catheter adapted to be inserted into a vessel inside a body of a human or an animal, a wire adapted to be inserted into the catheter and provided with a temperature sensor at its distal end, and a computer means adapted to receive and store detected temperature signals received from said sensor and said wire. The system further comprises a graphical user interface on a display screen connected to said computer means, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

determine if a valid activation command is received from the operator, and upon receipt of a valid activation command activate a continuous analysis of detected temperature signals,

display on said graphical user interface an operator instruction in an instruction window instructing the operator to perform steps in a measurement procedure to obtain said flow related parameters,

detect steps performed by the operator during the measurement procedure and display on said user interface the current status of said performed steps,

display on said user interface, in real-time, temperature curves related to the measurement procedure,

determine at least one flow related parameter based upon the temperature measurements obtained during said measurement procedure,

display on said user interface said at least one determined flow related parameter.

Claims

1. A method to assist an operator of an interactive measurement system for determining flow related parameters based upon physiological signals obtained by a measurement unit,

said measurement unit comprises a catheter adapted to be inserted into a vessel inside a body of a human or an animal, a wire adapted to be inserted into the catheter and provided with a temperature sensor at its distal end, and a computer means adapted to receive and store detected temperature signals received from said sensor and said wire,

characterized in that said system further comprises a graphical user interface on a display screen connected to said computer means, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

determine if a valid activation command is received from the operator, and upon receipt of a valid activation command activate a continuous analysis of detected temperature signals,

display on said graphical user interface an operator instruction in an instruction window instructing the operator to perform steps in a measurement procedure to obtain said flow related parameters,

detect steps performed by the operator during the measurement procedure and display on said user interface the current status of said performed steps,

display on said user interface, in real-time, temperature curves related to the measurement procedure,

determine at least one flow related parameter based upon the temperature measurements obtained during said measurement procedure,

display on said user interface said at least one determined flow related parameter.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said measurement procedure comprises the following steps:

instructing the operator to perform an injection step a predetermined number of times when an operator instruction “

INJECT”

is displayed, wherein said injection step includes performing an injection of a liquid into said vessel via the catheter, and

instructing the operator to perform an induce hyperemia step when an operator instruction “

INDUCE HYPEREMIA”

is displayed, wherein said induce hyperemia step includes performing an injection of a medicament into the human or animal in order to set the human or animal in a state of hyperemia.

3. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that one of said flow related parameters is coronary flow reserve (CFR), which is calculated as the ratio between flow related values before and during hyperemia is induced.

4. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said wire is also provided with a pressure sensor at the distal end of the wire, wherein said computer means is adapted to receive and store detected pressure signals received from said pressure sensor.

5. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that one of said flow related parameters is fractional flow reserve (FFR), which is calculated by using the detected pressure signals.

6. Method according to claim 4, characterized in that said method comprises the further step:

display on said user interface, in real-time, pressure curves related to the measurement procedure

7. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that CFR and FFR are calculated during the same period of hyperemia.

8. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said continuous analysis of detected temperature signals includes determining a starting point of the analysis of the sensor temperature signal based upon analysis of a signal representing the temperature of said wire.

9. Method according to claim 8, characterized in that said signal representing the temperature of said wire is the electrical resistance of said wire.

10. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said analysis of the signal representing the temperature of said wire includes the step of applying predefined cable temperature criteria on said signal, and when said temperature criteria is fulfilled an accepted detection is acknowledged and a starting point for analysis of the sensor temperature signal is determined.

11. A graphical user interface for use in connection with an interactive measurement system, characterized in that said interface is adapted to display operator instructions, curves and calculated values obtained by the method according to claim 1.

12. A computer program comprising computer executable instructions:

for causing a computer to generate the graphical user interface according to claim 11 on a display screen.

13. A computer program comprising computer executable instructions:

for causing a computer to perform the method steps according to claim 1.

14. Method according to claim 5, characterized in that CFR and FFR are calculated during the same period of hyperemia.