CALIBRATED MEASUREMENT OF BLOOD VESSELS AND ENDOTHELIUM AFTER REACTIVE HYPEREMIA AND METHOD THEREFOR

摘要

The calibrated method for characterizing blood flow in a limb of a patient during reactive hyperemia utilizes a blood pressure cuff. The method establishes a predetermined, near diastolic, pressure in said blood pressure cuff during the reactive hyperemic episode, continually senses the pressure in the cuff and periodically changes the internal volume of said blood pressure cuff by a predetermined volumetric amount to calibrate the system. The resultant change in the pressure is a calibration pressure pulse and is used to calculates pulsatile blood volume through the blood vessel. A calibrated method for determining the condition of blood vessels and endothelium includes determining, for each calibration cycle, a respective peak value for the blood volume and comparing the peak blood volume values with peak blood volume values for healthy blood vessels and endothelium. The comparison preferably utilizes a waveform. The calibrated system for characterizing blood flow includes a computerized electronic and pneumatic system which inflates, for a predetermined pre-test time, the blood pressure cuff to a suprasystolic pressure and thereafter establishes the near diastolic pressure in the cuff during the ensuing reactive hyperemic episode. A sensor substantially continually senses the pressure and generates a pressure signal. A subsystem periodically changes the volume of said blood pressure cuff during a calibration cycle. A corrected and calibrated blood volume signal is calculated with the calibration pressure signal. A calibrated system for determining the condition of blood vessels and endothelium is also disclosed.