Patent ID: 6200301
Filing Date: 2001-03-13
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A process for determining an instant of injection and a duration of injection in thermodilution measurements, the process comprising the steps of:providing an injectate fluid at a temperature deviating from a temperature of a blood of a patient and having a temperature at approximately room temperature;providing a temperature sensor having a temperature deviation from room temperature;injecting said injectate fluid at a specific injection site into a blood vessel of said patient;passing said injectate fluid over said temperature sensor and reading continuously a temperature sensed by said temperature sensor;measuring a temperature of the blood at a measuring site downstream of said injection site;determining an instant of a beginning of injection from a change occurring in said temperature sensed by said temperature sensor; anddetermining an instant of an end of injection from a subsequently occurring change in direction of said temperature sensed by said temperature sensor.