DEVICE FOR DETERMINING THE FLOW RATE OF A BLOOD FLOW, AND CARDIOVASCULAR ASSIST DEVICE
First Claim
1. A device for the in vivo determination of the blood flow rate in a bloodstream of a patient, the device including:
- a. microelectrodes configured for placement in the bloodstream, the microelectrodes including an excitation electrode and a measuring electrode,b. an electrical power source connected to the excitation electrode, the power source being configured to provide excitation energy,c. a signal detector connected to the measuring electrode, wherein in the presence of the excitation energy, the signal detector detects an electrical measured signal at the measuring electrode resulting from the blood flow, andd. a signal evaluation device in communication with the signal detector, the signal evaluation device being configured to determine the blood flow rate on the basis of the measured signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A device for the in vivo determination of the blood flow rate in a patient'"'"'s blood vessel includes a microelectrode arrangement provided for placement in the blood vessel, an electrical power source which provides excitation energy having physiologically harmless parameters for obtaining a measured signal, a signal detector for detecting an electrical measured signal resulting from the blood flow in the presence of the excitation energy at measuring electrodes of the microelectrode arrangement, and a signal evaluation device, connected to the signal detector, for determining the blood flow rate on the basis of the measured signal.
29 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A device for the in vivo determination of the blood flow rate in a bloodstream of a patient, the device including:
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a. microelectrodes configured for placement in the bloodstream, the microelectrodes including an excitation electrode and a measuring electrode, b. an electrical power source connected to the excitation electrode, the power source being configured to provide excitation energy, c. a signal detector connected to the measuring electrode, wherein in the presence of the excitation energy, the signal detector detects an electrical measured signal at the measuring electrode resulting from the blood flow, and d. a signal evaluation device in communication with the signal detector, the signal evaluation device being configured to determine the blood flow rate on the basis of the measured signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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10. The device of claim 10 wherein the electrode line includes one or more stimulation electrodes at or near its end, the stimulation electrodes being separate and spaced from the microelectrodes.
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25. A cardiac pacemaker and/or defibrillator including:
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a. an elongated electrode line having a line surface bearing; (1) one or more stimulation electrodes for delivering stimulation pulses to a heart, (2) one or more excitation electrodes, each excitation electrode being in communication with an electrical power source configured to provide excitation energy to the excitation electrode, (3) one or more measuring electrodes, each measuring electrode being in communication with a signal detector, wherein in the presence of the excitation energy, the signal detector detects an electrical measured signal at the measuring electrode resulting from any blood flow adjacent the measuring electrode, and (4) spacers extending outwardly from the line surface, whereby the spacers space the line surface at a distance from a wall of a blood vessel when the electrode line is inserted into the blood vessel; b. a signal evaluation device in communication with the signal detector, the signal evaluation device being configured to determine the blood flow rate adjacent one or more of the measuring electrodes on the basis of the measured signal.
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Specification