Patent ID: 6334849
Filing Date: 2002-01-01
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
An apparatus for monitoring a function of a heart of a living subject, comprising:a pre-ejection period measuring device which non-invasively measures a pre-ejection period from a time when contraction of a cardiac muscle of a left ventricle of the heart starts, to a time when ejection of blood from the left ventricle starts; an ejection-period measuring device which non-invasively measures an ejection period during which the blood is ejected from the left ventricle; an aorta-pressure estimating means for estimating blood pressure values in an aorta of the subject; a telediastolic-aorta-pressure determining means for determining, based on the aorta blood pressure values estimated by the aorta-pressure estimating means, a telediastolic blood pressure in the aorta at a telediastolic time of the heart; for determining, based on the aorta blood pressure values estimated by the aorta-pressure estimating means, a telesystolic blood pressure in the aorta at a telesystolic time of the heart; a stroke-volume measuring device which non-invasively measures a stroke volume that is a volume of blood ejected from the left ventricle of the heart by a one-time beat of the heart; and a telesystolic-elastance determining means for determining, based on the measured pre-ejection period, the measured ejection period, the determined aorta telediastolic blood pressure, the determined aorta telesystolic blood pressure, and the measured stroke volume, a telesystolic elastance of the left ventricle of the heart, according to a predetermined relationship between (A) left-ventricle telesystolic elastance and (B) (b1) pre-ejection period, (b2) ejection period, (b3) aorta telediastolic blood pressure, (b4) aorta telesystolic blood pressure, and (b5) stroke volume.