Method and apparatus for automated vascular function testing
First Claim
1. A method of measuring a characteristic of an artery in a patient, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing an ultrasound system having an ultrasound transducer;
providing a non-invasive blood pressure (NIBP) monitor having a selectively inflatable and deflatable pressure cuff, the NIBP monitor being in communication with the ultrasound system;
providing an optical plethysmographic sensor operable to generate a heartbeat signal for each heartbeat cycle for the patient;
positioning the ultrasound transducer and the pressure cuff on the patient, the pressure cuff being located distal to the ultrasound transducer;
deriving landmarks of the heartbeat cycle for the patient from the heartbeat signal from the optical plethysmographic sensor;
measuring a pulse wave transit time from the ultrasound transducer to the optical plethysmographic sensor;
automatically inflating the pressure cuff above a systolic pressure for the patient to occlude the artery for an occlusion period;
automatically deflating the pressure cuff after the occlusion period and communicating the deflation to the ultrasound system;
automatically detecting a parameter of an artery below the ultrasound transducer at a detection time within each heartbeat cycle determined from the landmarks of the heartbeat cycle after receiving notification of the pressure cuff deflation;
determining arterial compliance based upon the pulse wave transit time measured following the occlusion period; and
determining the endothelial dysfunction based upon the detected parameters of the artery following the occlusion period.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system for use in measuring the endothelial dysfunction utilizing flow mediated dilation and determining arterial health of a patient. The system includes a non-invasive blood pressure monitor, an ultrasound system and a pulse oximeter monitor that all communicate with each other to perform the flow mediated dilation. Initially, the ultrasound transducer, blood pressure cuff and pulse oximeter sensor are positioned on an arm of the patient. The blood pressure cuff is inflated to occlude an artery for an occlusion period. Following the occlusion period, the ultrasound system is automatically signaled to begin determining a parameter of the artery, such as diameter, and the flow rate of blood through the artery without any operator intervention. At the same time, the pulse wave velocity PWV is calculated between the ultrasound transducer and the finger probe of the pulse oximeter following the occlusion period. Based upon the detected characteristics of the artery before and after occlusion, as well as the PWV, the system can determine the endothelial dysfunction and arterial health of the patient.
-
Citations
18 Claims
-
1. A method of measuring a characteristic of an artery in a patient, the method comprising the steps of:
-
providing an ultrasound system having an ultrasound transducer; providing a non-invasive blood pressure (NIBP) monitor having a selectively inflatable and deflatable pressure cuff, the NIBP monitor being in communication with the ultrasound system; providing an optical plethysmographic sensor operable to generate a heartbeat signal for each heartbeat cycle for the patient; positioning the ultrasound transducer and the pressure cuff on the patient, the pressure cuff being located distal to the ultrasound transducer; deriving landmarks of the heartbeat cycle for the patient from the heartbeat signal from the optical plethysmographic sensor; measuring a pulse wave transit time from the ultrasound transducer to the optical plethysmographic sensor; automatically inflating the pressure cuff above a systolic pressure for the patient to occlude the artery for an occlusion period; automatically deflating the pressure cuff after the occlusion period and communicating the deflation to the ultrasound system; automatically detecting a parameter of an artery below the ultrasound transducer at a detection time within each heartbeat cycle determined from the landmarks of the heartbeat cycle after receiving notification of the pressure cuff deflation; determining arterial compliance based upon the pulse wave transit time measured following the occlusion period; and determining the endothelial dysfunction based upon the detected parameters of the artery following the occlusion period. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15)
-
-
13. A system for the automatic determination of endothelial dysfunction and arterial health of a patient using flow mediated dilation, comprising:
-
a non-invasive blood pressure (NIBP) monitor having a pressure cuff positionable on the patient and selectively inflatable and deflatable by the NIBP monitor; an optical plethysmographic monitor having an optical plethysmographic sensor positionable on the patient and operable to detect heartbeat cycles for the patient; and an ultrasound system having an ultrasound transducer positionable on a limb of the patient and operable to determine at least a parameter of an artery below the ultrasound transducer over the heartbeat cycle, the ultrasound system being in communication with the NIBP monitor, wherein the operation of the ultrasound monitor and the NIBP monitor are communicated to each other to inflate the pressure cuff above a systolic pressure for an occlusion period and to determine the parameter of the artery both before inflation of the pressure cuff for the occlusion period and after deflation of the pressure cuff following the occlusion period, wherein the ultrasound monitor and the optical plethysmographic monitor are operable to determine the pulse wave transit time from the ultrasound transducer to the optical plethysmographic sensor. - View Dependent Claims (14, 16, 17, 18)
-
Specification