Patent ID: 6238349
Filing Date: 2001-05-29
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A method for obtaining an index of cardiac output of a person which may be done noninvasively by paramedical personnel, the method comprising the following steps: providing an esophageal catheter having at least one balloon; inserting into the esophagus of the person the catheter and positioning the balloon in a position adjacent the left atrium to sense left atrial pressure; pressurizing the balloon; and utilizing effects of left atrial pressure on the pressurized balloon to obtain a wave form of left atrial pressure; determining an area between the left atrial pressure wave form and a baseline for each of a plurality of heartbeats; adding the areas and dividing by the number of heartbeats to obtain an average; and multiplying the average by the heart rate of the person to obtain an index for comparison with another such index.