APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR MEASURING BLOOD FLOW WITHIN THE GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT

• US 20120209086A1
• Filed: 02/27/2012
• Published: 08/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Q Pidt B.V.
• Original Assignee: Q Pidt B.V.
• Inventors: BEUTE, Jan
• Application Number:
  US13/406,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20120209086A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/301
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0261 using optical means, e.g. infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0295 using plethysmography, i.e. measuring the variations in the volume of a body part as modified by the circulation of blood therethrough, e.g. impedance plethysmography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/036 by means introduced into body tracts A61B5/032 and A61B5/035 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/352 Detecting R peaks, e.g. for synchronising diagnostic apparatus; Estimating R-R interval
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6853 with a balloon
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7285 for synchronising or triggering a physiological measurement or image acquisition with a physiological event or waveform, e.g. an ECG signal A61B6/5205, A61B6/541, A61B8/5207, A61B8/543 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/507 for determination of haemodynamic parameters, e.g. perfusion CT

Abstract

A blood flow measurement system for measuring blood flow within the gastrointestinal tract is provided including a catheter, a processor, and measurement software. The catheter has an expandable member disposed near its distal end and an optical sensor disposed adjacent to the expandable member. The optical sensor is configured to generate a signal indicative of blood flow within the gastrointestinal tract. The processor is configured to control the optical sensor, to receive the signal, and to transmit the signal to the measurement software for measuring blood flow.

Claims

1. A blood flow measurement system, comprising:

a catheter configured for placement within a gastrointestinal tract of a patient, the catheter comprising;

a distal end,

a proximal end,

an expandable member disposed near the distal end,

a lumen extending between the proximal end and the expandable member, and

an optical sensor disposed adjacent to the expandable member, the optical sensor configured to generate a signal indicative of blood flow within the gastrointestinal tract; and

a processor operatively coupled to the optical sensor and the expandable member, the processor configured to control the optical sensor and to receive the signal, the processor further configured to control periodic inflation and deflation of the expandable member.

2. The blood flow measurement system of claim 1, further comprising a pump operatively coupled to the expandable member through the lumen and to the processor, wherein the processor is configured to cause pump to periodically inflate and deflate the expandable member.

3. The blood flow measurement system of claim 2, further comprising a housing configured to house the processor and the pump.

4. The blood flow measurement system of claim 2, further comprising a valve operatively coupled to the pump, the valve configured to control gas flow to the expandable member.

5. The blood flow measurement system of claim 1, further comprising measurement software configured to run on a computer operatively coupled to the processor, the measurement software configured to process the signal to calculate an area indicative of a blood flow rate within the gastrointestinal tract.

6. The blood flow measurement system of claim 5, further comprising a electrocardiogram (ECG) lead assembly operatively coupled to the processor, the ECG lead assembly configured to sense an ECG signal based on electrical activity of a heart of the patient,

wherein the measurement software is further configured to determine an R-wave signal based on the ECG signal.

7. The blood flow measurement system of claim 6, further comprising a photoplethysmogram (PPG) module operatively coupled to the processor and the optical sensor, wherein the PPG module is configured to receive the signal from the optical sensor and to generate a PPG signal based on the signal and to transmit the PPG signal to the processor.

8. The blood flow measurement system of claim 7, wherein the measurement software is further configured to receive the PPG signal and to determine a PPG segment based on the R-wave signal.

9. The blood flow measurement system of claim 8, wherein the measurement software is configured to calculate the area based on the PPG segment for measuring the blood flow rate within the gastrointestinal tract.

10. The blood flow measurement system of claim 1, wherein the optical sensor is disposed within the expandable member.

11. The blood flow measurement system of claim 1, wherein the optical sensor is disposed outside the expandable member.

12. The blood flow measurement system of claim 1, wherein the optical sensor comprises a diode and a photodiode, the diode configured to emit light into the gastrointestinal tract and the photodiode configured to receive the light reflected from the gastrointestinal tract.

13. The blood flow measurement system of claim 1, wherein the signal is indicative of perfusion within the gastrointestinal tract

14. A method for measuring blood flow within a gastrointestinal tract of a patient, the method comprising:

introducing an optical sensor into the gastrointestinal tract;

generating a signal indicative of blood flow within the gastrointestinal tract using the optical sensor;

processing the signal to generate a photoplethysmogram (PPG) signal;

generating an electrocardiogram (ECG) signal based electrical activity of a heart of the patient;

determining a PPG segment of the PPG signal based on the ECG signal; and

measuring blood flow within the gastrointestinal tract based on the PPG segment.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein introducing the optical sensor comprises introducing an expandable member having the optical sensor disposed thereon.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein introducing the optical sensor further comprises introducing a catheter having the expandable member disposed thereon.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein determining the PPG segment comprises determining a starting point and an ending point of the PPG signal based on the ECG signal.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein measuring blood flow comprises measuring blood flow within the gastrointestinal tract based on an area below the PPG signal and above a boundary line between the starting point and the ending point.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining an R-wave of the ECG signal, and

wherein determining the PPG segment comprises determining the PPG segment of the PPG signal based on the R-wave.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein measuring blood flow comprises measuring perfusion within the gastrointestinal tract based on the PPG segment.