Method and apparatus for more precisely determined mean left atrial pressure

摘要

A method and apparatus for more precisely determining mean left atrial pressure. A catheter including a balloon is inserted into an esophagus with the balloon positioned adjacent the left atrium and inflated to provide a signal of balloon pressure oscillations effected by the left atrium. By use of the fast Fourier transform, the amplitude of each of simple harmonic wave forms (or a corresponding portion thereof) making up the balloon pressure oscillation signal is corrected for characteristics of the catheter and the corrected wave forms combined into a corrected signal of balloon pressure oscillations. The balloon pressure is measured when the amplitude of the corrected balloon pressure oscillation signal is at a peak, wherein the measured balloon pressure is determined to be mean left atrial pressure.