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Blood vessel tester

  • US 4,191,194 A
  • Filed: 02/08/1978
  • Issued: 03/04/1980
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1977
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A method for determining whether or not a transplanted blood vessel inside a mammal is obstructed or contracted, in which a pair of temperature-sensitive elements are attached to the surface of said transplanted blood vessel at separate positions thereon which positions are longitudinally spaced-apart from each other in the direction of the blood flow of said transplanted blood vessel, said temperature-sensitive elements being capable of providing separate thermoelectromotive force outputs indicative of the temperature of the surface of said transplanted blood vessel at the respective positions, which comprises the steps of:

  • transfusing a quantity of a cooling liquid into the blood that flows through said transplanted blood vessel at a location in the blood flow path upstream from said temperature-sensitive elements so that said temperature-sensitive elements thereby provide thermoelectromotive force outputs in response to the flow of the cooling liquid past said positions, each of said outputs varying with time and said two outputs being spaced-apart in time from each other; and

    measuring the time difference between corresponding points of said thermoelectromotive force outputs which time difference indicates whether or not said transplanted blood vessel is obstructed or contracted between said positions.

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