Patent ID: 6496711
Filing Date: 2002-12-17
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A diagnostic probe for measuring a parameter of a cardiovascular system comprising:an electromagnetic radiation source for illumination of a volume of intravascular blood with electromagnetic radiation, the electromagnetic radiation having at least one frequency component having an intensity, the intensity of the at least one frequency component of the electromagnetic radiation being altered by interaction with the volume of intravascular blood thereby generating an optical signal from the interaction of the at least one frequency component of the electromagnetic radiation with the volume of intravascular blood, the optical signal having an intensity; and a light-to-frequency converter having an electromagnetic radiation sensor electrically connected to an electronic signal generator, said electromagnetic radiation sensor being optically coupled to said electromagnetic radiation source for reception of the optical signal and said electronic signal generator generating a periodic electrical signal responsive to said electromagnetic radiation sensor, the periodic electrical signal comprising a digital pulse train having pulses, the timing of the pulses of the electrical signal corresponding to the intensity of the optical signal.