TRANSMIT TIME THERMODILUTION GUIDEWIRE SYSTEM FOR MEASURING CORONARY BLOOD FLOW VELOCITY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

摘要

Method and device for measuring coronary blood flow velocity by thermodilution, the device comprising a guidewire with several equally spaced thermal sensors. Infusion media such as saline is administered at room temperature and the phase shift of the blood temperature is monitored giving a value of the transit time in between the sensors, a value that is inversely proportional to the average peak flow velocity during a single cardiac cycle.