Patent ID: 9504443
Filing Date: 2016-11-29
CPC Classification: A61B

Claim Text:
1. A method for measuring blood velocity and derived indices related to blood velocity in an umbilical artery of a neonatal patient, comprising: inserting into the umbilical artery an elongated catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end so that the distal end is located at a desired location in the umbilical artery for measuring the blood velocity, said elongated catheter body defining a conduit therein, said desired location being close to a patent ductus arteriosus of the neonatal patient; positioning an end of a Doppler catheter near the proximal end of the elongated catheter body, wherein the Doppler catheter includes a Doppler transducer, a wire connected to the Doppler transducer, and a sleeve that provides a sealed environment for the Doppler transducer and the wire when the Doppler transducer and/or the wire is in a first position outside the conduit, when the Doppler transducer is in a second position at said desired location, and when the Doppler transducer is in a position between the first position and the second position; thereafter inserting into the conduit, at the proximal end of the elongated catheter body, the Doppler transducer and the wire so that the Doppler transducer passes through, and extends outside, the conduit at the distal end, to be located at said desired location, thereby folding the sleeve; performing continuously ultrasound measurement of the blood velocity in the umbilical artery at said desired location using the Doppler transducer to measure antegrade and retrograde blood velocity in the umbilical artery; and continuously displaying, in real time, information related to the blood velocity in the umbilical artery.