Computherm. A New Device for Measurement of Coronary Blood Flow using the Continuous Thermodilution Technique

Abstract

A new device for an automatic determination of coronary sinus blood flow using the thermodilution technique is presented. The measuring equipment consists of four main parts; a thermal dilution-catheter with two signal amplifiers of analogue type, an analogue/digital converter controlled by a microcomputer system, a pump for the control of the rate of injection flow and a control panel and display. The device has been tested in a model test with flow levels between 75 and 200 ml/min. The error between a number of measurements with all parameters unchanged except minor variations in temperatures was less than 5 per cent.