METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR THE DETECTION OF CARDIOPULMONARY DEFECTS

• US 20110082373A1
• Filed: 06/03/2010
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: John C. Gurley, Kevin D. Donohue
• Original Assignee: John C. Gurley, Kevin D. Donohue
• Inventors: Donohue, Kevin D., Gurley, John C.
• Application Number:
  US12/793,444
• Publication Number:
  US 20110082373A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/454
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/681 Wristwatch-type devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/06 Measuring blood flow measuring volume flow in general G01F, e.g. G01F1/66, G01F1/72; measuring speed of fluids in general G01P5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4455 Features of the external shape of the probe, e.g. ergonomic aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/481 involving the use of contrast agent, e.g. microbubbles introduced into the bloodstream analysis of echo signal exploiting properties of a contrast enhancer in devices for short-range imaging with acoustic waves G01S7/52039

Abstract

A diagnostic system for detecting a right-to-left cardiopulmonary shunt in a patient. The system includes at least one Doppler ultrasound transducer, a transducer housing, a transducer housing placement device to affix the Doppler ultrasound transducer housing over a peripheral blood vessel, and a control system configured to receive and process the echoes and transform the echoes into data indicative of the presence or absence of a bubbles within the peripheral blood vessel, thereby determining whether or not the patient has a right-to-left cardiopulmonary shunt. A method of detecting a right-to-left cardiopulmonary shunt in a patient is also provided.

Claims

1. A diagnostic system for detecting a right-to-left cardiopulmonary shunt in a patient, comprising:

at least one Doppler ultrasound transducer;

a transducer housing;

a transducer housing placement device to affix said Doppler ultrasound transducer housing over a peripheral blood vessel so that said at least one Doppler ultrasound transducer can remain stationary over said blood vessel during transmission of ultrasound and receipt of ultrasonic echoes; and

a control system configured to receive and process said echoes and transform said echoes into data indicative of the presence or absence of a bubbles within the peripheral blood vessel, thereby determining whether or not the patient has a right-to-left cardiopulmonary shunt.

2. The diagnostic system of claim 1, wherein said placement device is configured to affix said housing over an artery in a patient'"'"'s wrist.

3. A method of detecting a right-to-left cardiopulmonary shunt in a patient, comprising the steps of:

(a) positioning a Doppler ultrasound transducer over a peripheral artery in the patient;

(b) collecting Doppler ultrasound data comprising Doppler echoes from the patient'"'"'s peripheral artery;

(c) injecting microbubbles into a vein in the patient while continuing to collect said Doppler ultrasound data; and

(d) determining the presence of right-to-left cardiopulmonary shunt in the patient by comparing collected data from before and after the injecting step.