Method for carrying out blood flow measurements and a probe therefor
First Claim
1. A probe for regional blood flow measurement, comprising:
- a housing of low thermal conduction and heat capacity, at least one face of which is adapted to make contact with a tissue region investigated, said face being provided with a recessed portion;
a single relatively thin plate made of a material of high thermal conductivity, located in said recessed portion and being substantially flush with said tissue-contacting face of said housing;
a temperature-sensing means in thermal contact with said plate and adapted to transfer temperature-related information to the outside of said housing,wherein the respective configurations of said plate and said housing are such as to minimize the area of contact between them relative to the area of contact between said plate and said tissue region, in order to minimize heat flow between said plate and said housing.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A probe for regional blood flow measurement, comprising a housing of low thermal conduction and heat capacity, at least one face of which is adapted to make contact with a tissue region investigated, the face being provided with a recessed portion, a relatively thin plate made of a material of high thermal conductivity, located in the recess and being substantially flush with the tissue-contacting face of the housing, a temperature-sensing means in thermal contact with the plate and adapted to transfer temperature-related information to the outside of the housing, wherein the respective configurations of the plate and the housing are such as to minimize the area of contact between them relative to the area of contact between the plate and the tissue region, in order to minimize heat flow between the plate and the housing. A method for carrying out regional blood flow measurements is also disclosed.
45 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A probe for regional blood flow measurement, comprising:
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a housing of low thermal conduction and heat capacity, at least one face of which is adapted to make contact with a tissue region investigated, said face being provided with a recessed portion; a single relatively thin plate made of a material of high thermal conductivity, located in said recessed portion and being substantially flush with said tissue-contacting face of said housing; a temperature-sensing means in thermal contact with said plate and adapted to transfer temperature-related information to the outside of said housing, wherein the respective configurations of said plate and said housing are such as to minimize the area of contact between them relative to the area of contact between said plate and said tissue region, in order to minimize heat flow between said plate and said housing. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for carrying our regional blood flow measurements, comprising the steps of:
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providing a minimal-heat-leak probe having a single heat-sensitive face capable of producing signals indicative of the temperature of said face; attaching said probe to a tissue region to be investigated, so that signals produced by said heat-sensitive face will be indicative of the temperature of said tissue region; exposing said probe to the heat emanating from said tissue region for at least two equal periods of time, a first period P1 starting at a time t1 and ending at a time t2, and a second period P2 starting at a time t3 and ending at a time t4, thereby obtaining a temperature T1 at time t1, a temperature T2 at time t2, a temperature T3 at time t3, and a temperature T4 at time t4 ; using the values thus obtained to determine a temperature-vs.-time curve, and applying the expression ##EQU2## to calculate the regional blood flow, where I12 and I34 are the areas under said curve that represent the integrals of the temperature over said periods P1 and P2, respectively, and wherein the highest temperature to be attained by said heat-sensitive face of said probe is lower than local arterial temperature. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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Specification