INTRAVASCULAR BLOOD FLOW MEASUREMENT USING DIFFERENTIAL PRESSURE PRINCIPLE AND AN EXPANDING FLOW SENSOR

摘要

A blood flow measurement system for measuring a blood flow quantity such as flow velocity or flow volume inside a blood vessel includes an intravascular blood flow measurement device with a body that comprises an expandable body section. A control unit sequentially provides a size control signal indicative of a respective one of the at least two predetermined expandable sizes to be assumed by the expandable body section. A pressure sensor unit measures respective sequences of blood pressure signals over a measuring time span defined with respect to a heart cycle period. A flow determination unit uses the values of cross sectional area of the expandable body section, the associated pressure signals and a known value of a density of blood, to calculate a value of a blood flow quantity inside the blood vessel based on Bernoulli's law.