Method, apparatus and system for determining the moment when the state of an artery switches from open to closed and vice versa for an artery of interest under pressure fluctuations

摘要

The method of determining the open/closed switch moment of an artery of interest under a changing pressure comprises: detecting a first Doppler ultrasound signal from the blood flow in the artery of interest using a first Doppler ultrasound transducer, which is placed on the artery of interest in one limb which is provided with a cuff that is capable of being inflated or deflated to provide the changing pressure to the artery of interest; detecting a second Doppler ultrasound signal from the blood flow in a reference artery using a second Doppler ultrasound transducer, the reference artery being in any one of the other three limbs; deriving a third signal from the first Doppler ultrasound signal and the second Doppler ultrasound signal, the third signal indicating the degree of synchronism between the first Doppler ultrasound signal and the second Doppler ultrasound signal; and out-putting a fourth signal to indicate the artery of interest is closed or reopened at the moment when the third signal satisfies a predefined condition. By utilizing the second ultrasound signal as a reference and deriving a signal indicating the synchronization property between the two ultrasound signals, the open/closed status of the artery of interest under a changing pressure can be determined more stably and more reliably regardless of the detailed condition of the patient.