METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETERMINING THE SEGMENTAL VOLUME AND ELECTRICAL PARALLEL CONDUCTANCE OF A CARDIAC CHAMBER OR BLOOD VESSEL

Abstract: The segment volume of a cardiac chamber or blood vessel of a patient is determined by injecting a first indicator in the blood stream of a patient, which influences the conductance of the blood. The electrical conductance in the cardiac chamber or blood vessel is measured. An injected quantity of indicator is determined and the development of the concentration of this indicator in the blood is measured wherein the cardiac output is calculated from the injected quantity of indicator and the development of the concentration in the blood. Subsequently, the segment volume and electrical parallel conductance of a cardiac chamber or blood vessel are calculated from the calculated cardiac output, the injected quantity of conductance indicator and the measured conductance.

Description: METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETERMINING THE SEGMENTAL VOLUME AND ELECTRICAL PARALLEL CONDUCTANCE OF A CARDIAC CHAMBER OR BLOOD VESSEL The invention relates to a method for determining the segmental volume and the electrical parallel conductance of a cardiac chamber or a blood vessel of a patient, wherein a first indicator, which influences the conductance of the blood, is injected into the bloodstream of a patient, wherein the electrical conductance in said cardiac chamber or blood vessel is measured and wherein the sum of the segmental volume of said cardiac chamber or blood vessel and the electrical parallel conductance is calculated from said conductance, as well as to an apparatus for determining the segmental volume of a cardiac chamber or a blood vessel of a patient and to a catheter for use in said method or apparatus . Such a method and apparatus are known from the article of Baan et al in Automedica 1989, vol. 11, pp. 357-365. A so- called electrical conductance method can be carried out therewith, wherein a catheter is introduced into one of the cardiac chambers of a patient. Said catheter, which comprises several annular electrodes, provides a signal which is a measure of the sum of the electrical conductance of the blood in the cardiac chamber and the electrical conductance of the structures surrounding the blood in the cardiac chamber, which is called parallel conductance. With regard to this overall conductance the following holds true: G(t) = Q(t) .^ σ b + G P (i) Jx wherein Q(t) is the volume in the cardiac chamber, L is the spacing between the annular electrodes, σ b is the electrical conductivity of blood, G(t) is the sum of the measured electrical conductance values between the successive annular electrodes, and G p is the associated parallel conductance. Parallel conductance G p is assumed to be constant. The determination of the parallel conductance is based on the linear relation between the measured conductance G(t) and the conductivity of the blood σ-__ . The conductivity of the blood is changed by means of an injection of a hypertonic saline solution (0.8 M/l, 5 - 10 ml for humans) or a hypotonic glucose solution (glucose solution 10 ml) upstream of the catheter, for example in the pulmonary artery. The parallel conductance is determined by plotting the measured conductance at minimum chamber volume (G m i n i mUm ) at the beginning of the filling stage against the measured conductance at maximum chamber volume (G ma χiura) at the beginning of the ejection stage. These values are determined heartbeat after heartbeat during the increasing (or decreasing) conductivity of the blood following the injection of the saline solution (or glucose solution) . The linear regression line through said values is extrapolated to the identity line, wherein the value in the point of intersection is considered to be the value of the parallel conductance. Since this method employs extrapolation of the relation between (G m ini mum ) and (G ma ximum) to the identity line for only a small number of heartbeats, a small error in the determination of (G m i n im um ) or (G ma ximum) will lead to maj or errors in the determination of the parallel conductance. The application of the conductance method in blood vessels involves an additional problem. Since blood can be considered to be a suspension of small insulating particles (blood cells) in a conductive fluid (plasma) , and blood flows more quickly in the centre of the blood vessel than near the wall of the blood vessel, the blood cells will be exposed to different shearing forces during the cardiac cycle. This will cause the blood cells to change their orientation and to deform when the cardiac output increases, as a result of which the effective path length of an electron current will become smaller and the electrical conductivity of the blood will increase. The reverse takes place when the cardiac output decreases. This results in a pulsating change in the conductivity of the blood at constant cross-sectional dimensions and a constant parallel conductance. It is for this reason that the application of the conductance method for determining the cross-sectional dimensions of a blood vessel has not been accepted so far. The object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus of the kind referred to in the introduction, wherein the objections that stand in the way of using the aforesaid conductance method have been overcome in a simple yet efficient manne . To this end, the method according to the invention is characterized in that an injected quantity of indicator is determined and the development of the concentration of this indicator in the blood is measured, wherein the cardiac output is calculated from the injected quantity of indicator and the development of the concentration thereof, and wherein the segmental volume and electrical parallel conductance of a cardiac chamber or a blood vessel are calculated from the calculated cardiac output, the injected quantity of conductance indicator and the measured conductance. η The apparatus for determining the segmental volume of a cardiac chamber or a blood vessel of a patient, which comprises a processing unit having a control output for initiating the injection of a first indicator into the bloodstream of the patient, which influences the conductance of the blood, a first detector to be placed in a cardiac chamber or blood vessel for measuring a conductance signal, which depends on the electrical conductance at the location of the detector, wherein said processing unit is arranged for calculating the segmental volume of the cardiac chamber or the blood vessel from said conductance signal, is according to the invention characterized by a second P> TJ TJ J l 0> rt ø to Ml 0 π p. 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Φ t φ μ- ϋ Φ if 3 μ- rt 0 0 Ω ii rt rt H 0 0 ø tr 0 rt ^ ø if 0 Φ rt t tr 3 Ω φ 0 Ω ø' CQ PJ to • Ω ϋ rt H" :> t to OJ Φ Ω - if Φ μ- to £. μ- rt i PJ Φ 0 0 Φ 0 • OJ 0 Φ μ- 0 ii 0 0 ^ 0 3 Φ Φ Ω ø TJ 0 Φ ø P. Φ rt li H O rt <! rt OJ 0 0 Φ ø tr μ- • 0> rt Ω OJ μ- <J φ - 0 μ- to tr 0 if ø OJ ø ø ^ 0 - OJ ø ø Ω CQ H Ω p. ø μ- <! ϋ ø J P. 0 Φ * Φ φ Ω 3 rt Φ μ- ø μ- 0 P. α rt 0 0 0 Φ Φ 0 to Ω Φ μ- Φ Φ rt Φ TJ μ- l μ- 0 rt tr ø CQ rt 0 μ- Φ μ- 3 Pi P. rt μ- M rt μ- CO rt ø OJ 0 Φ P. 0 ø ø i ^ 10 P. Ω rt <! Φ φ Φ p. rt ø 0 Ω Φ rt μ- ϋ ii Φ 0 .P rt Φ 0 H OJ φ J 0 CQ CQ Ω Φ if μ- TJ μ- 0 OJ 0 ii μ- Ω ø μ- - 0 μ- TJ OJ 3 0 l-h <! rt Ω rt - ϋ rt rt Φ rt 3 CQ H rt Ω 3 0 0 P. rt OJ ø Ω OJ Ω ø 3 Φ ø φ 0 rt Φ OJ 0 0 Φ • ; Φ 0 0 μ- 0 μ- Ω rt 0 OJ H 1 OJ rt J Φ s; $ CQ ii 0 P. rt OJ ft 3 ri li . 0 TJ Φ ii CQ ø P. Ω 0 Ω 0 ϋ rt μ- rt 10 0 ø if if CD i ø' 0 to 3 Φ 0 rt 0 !*i CD Φ μ- 0 OJ 0 if 0 to 0 μ- μ- Φ μ- OJ Φ P- rt μ- <! to OJ ø H rt μ- H rt 0> Φ μ- i Ω ii Ω Ω ø σι 0 Φ if t ø Φ 0 to 3 0 CD to 0 ø ø- rt Φ OJ rt 0 if if ø Φ p. OJ Φ Φ rt μ- TJ CO 0 rt 0 ii μ- Φ CD Φ P. 0 ø rt 0 rt μ- ø Φ CQ J 0 ø rt ø- tr φ rt ø- μ- μ- ø TJ ii Φ rt μ- if to φ rt μ- J Φ rt h- 1 Φ ø " φ rt Ω to tr Φ J if OJ 3 0 ' ø φ 0 ) Ω μ- ø P. if 3 if φ rt φ if OJ Ω 0 ) φ Φ TJ if Φ Ω 0 ) OJ rt < Φ Φ Φ OJ μ- OJ rt rt 0 μ- ø i Hi CQ OJ μ- μ- tr P. ii Φ 0 φ in 0 Φ rt 0 0 μ- OJ rt 0 0 0 OJ to Φ 0 rt Ω ø 0 J 0 ) μ- H 0 Ω Ω rt rt 0 Ω li 0 W i 0 tr μ- if OJ 0 J Ω o ii rt 0> Φ 0 Φ μ- to i CO OJ ø ■ <! P. φ φ φ rt o rt OJ μ- i 0 Ω ø rt to μ- rt ø φ ø PJ Ω to μ- P. Φ OJ 0 P. rt to P. * ^ to H rt rt ø rt Φ ø μ- O Φ Φ 0 ø μ- . Φ if μ- • μ- 0 ø PJ 0 OJ rt t 0 H 0 to OJ Φ 0 0 rt ø H Ω ø OJ H li Φ ω 3 φ H ø φ Φ 0 ϋ rt delivers a concentration signal. Said detector 5 is a thermistor, an optical detector or a conductivity detector, for example. Detectors 2 and 5 are connected to inputs 3 and 6 of the device. The obtained measuring signals are amplified by amplifiers 4 and 7 and fed to the inputs of processing unit 1. In this way, so-called dilution curves can be determined, which illustrate the development of the concentration in time. From this, the cardiac output can be calculated on the basis of the known quantity of indicator that has been injected. For, the following obtains: wherein mi is the injected quantity of indicator, c (t) is the development of the concentration and Qb' (t) is the cardiac output Given a constant cardiac output and a sudden injection of a cold fluid as the indicator, the following equation can be written: Q i P i Si(τ b -τ i )= Q' b p b s b lΔntøt (3 ) wherein Qi is the injection volume, p is the specific heat and S is the specific mass of the injected indicator (i) and of blood (b) , respectively, T is the temperature, Q b ' is the cardiac output and ΔT b is the change in the temperature of the blood that is brought about by the injection of a cold fluid. Rearrangement of the equation shows how the cardiac output can be calculated: This equation forms the basis for most thermodilution "cardiac output" computers . For a hypertonic saline solution as the indicator for example, equation 3 can be rewritten to give: Q i (σr σ b ) = Q' b σ b (t)dt (5) wherein σ± is the conductivity of the injected indicator and σ__. is the conductivity of blood. Rewriting of equation 1 for the change of the conductivity of blood Δσ b , gives: A σb (t) = AG(t) (6) Q s Combination of equations 5 and 6 results in: Q xisez \AG(t)dt (7) Q_ (σ σ b ) O b and oi are measured by means of a measuring cell which is known per se, in which detectors for temperature 8 and conductivity 11 are housed. Said detectors 8 and 11 are connected to the inputs 9 and 12 of the device. The obtained measuring signals are amplified by amplifiers 10 and 13, and fed to the processing unit 1. If detector 5 is adapted for measuring the conductivity of the blood, σ b can possibly be measured by means of detector 5. The values ' for O b and σi can also be input via an input device 18. The signals are converted by the processing unit 1 into values that obtain for the blood temperature as measured by detector 2. Since oi is more than 25 times as large as σ__ (in the case of a 3M hypertonic saline solution) , σ b can generally be disregarded. From the above it follows that it is possible, using a combined injection of a single cold hypertonic saline solution, to determine the segmental volume between two successive annular electrodes, or the cross-sectional dimensions, of a cardiac chamber or a blood vessel. The influence of the shearing rates on the blood cells is thus eliminated. With regard to the electrical parallel conductance, another reasoning can be followed. Equation 1 can be rewritten as follows : G P = G(t) - Q seg (t)^ (8) Combination of Q seg of equation 7 with equation 8 gives: G P = G mmn (t) -^X\AG(t)dt (9) Qi σ t wherein G mean (t) is the average value of the measured conductance over one heartbeat for the injection of a saline solution (indicated at 30 in Fig. 2) and ΔG(t) is the change in the measured conductance per heartbeat that results from the injection of the saline solution. This change is reflected in Fig. 2A. Once the parallel conductance G p has been determined in this manner, the segmental volume of the cardiac chamber and thus the heart function can be measured continuously by means of the conductance signal of detector 2, wherein the processing unit 1 determines the segmental volume with the calculated value Gp as the correction value from equation 1. In order to monitor the segmental volume and the electrical parallel conductance within the cardiac cycle, the conductance signal must be divided into i equal intervals for every cardiac cycle during the passage of the indicator. The first interval is at the beginning of the systole and the i th interval is at the end of the diastole. For every i th interval, the conductance signal is averaged for every heartbeat . Said measuring points form an indicator dilution curve, from which the segmental volume and the parallel conductance for said i th interval can be calculated in accordance with equation 7 and equation 9, respectively. This principle of operation is shown in Fig. 2; for one interval per cardiac cycle (in A) ; for the first time interval 31 of, for example, ten intervals per cardiac cycle (in B) ; and for the sixth time interval 32 of said ten intervals per cardiac cycle (in C) . Fig. 3 schematically shows a catheter 20 that can be used with the method and apparatus described herein. Catheter 20 comprises a lumen 21 provided with outlet openings 22 near the distal end 23 of the catheter. Via said lumen 20, the indicator (s) can be injected into the cardiac chamber of the blood vessel. Furthermore, a conductance detector 24 is provided near said distal end 23, which detector comprises twelve annular electrodes 25 in the illustrated embodiment. A concentration detector 26 is provided some distance away from said distal end 23, which detector, in the illustrated embodiment thereof, comprises four parallel electrodes 27, by means of which the conductivity of the adjacent blood can be measured. Electrodes 27 preferably extend in axial direction on part of the circumference of the catheter. This makes it possible to place the catheter 20 in the blood vessel in such a manner that the electrodes 27 will be clear of the wall of the blood vessel at all times. It is noted that the detector 26 can also be in the form of a thermistor. Catheter 20 may comprise a second conductance detector 28, if desired, which is spaced from the distal end 23 by such a distance that said detector will be positioned in the aorta if the detector 24 is positioned in the cardiac chamber. This makes catheter 20 suitable for measuring the segmental volume and the parallel conductance of a blood vessel and the cardiac chamber. In an alternative embodiment of the catheter not- shown, the concentration detector 26, and possibly the second conductance detector 28, may be positioned closer to the distal end of the catheter than the conductance detector 24. It is noted that all (measuring) results can be displayed on a suitable display device 19 in a manner that is known per se . The invention is not restricted to the embodiments as described above, which can be varied in several ways without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims .

Claims: Ω Ω φ Ω Ω μ- μ- rt Pi rt rt Ω Ω Ω CO rt o o μ- to < CQ CQ tr μ- tr rt 0 X 0 ø 0 t Φ if if O 0 OJ tr Φ ø 1 ø Hl ø OJ Φ 0 0 H" ø H 1 tr PJ i Ω ϋ OJ l_l- P. φ < Φ Φ 0 li OJ to Φ rt P. μ- to 3 μ- 0 Hi 0 Φ μ- ii H μ- φ μ- Φ P. Pi 3 3 TJ rt μ- Pi CD P. 0 0 3 Φ 0 Φ 3 Ω Ω μ- X- 1 TJ Ω 0 rt μ- ly φ P. ø if Ω Φ 0 Pi ø i Φ CD Ω CQ Ω to rt OJ ø 0 ø O Ω if OJ Φ ø Φ rt μ- OJ Ω H" Hi Ω to φ rt μ- rt Φ rt P. TJ ii 0 rt Φ Ω ii rt < to rt 0 ø rt ø <l Φ μ- < μ- Pi 0 μ- 3 TJ Ω ø OJ Φ μ- 0 0 J rt l ii Ω Φ Ω S3 0 Φ O S3 H Ω φ 0 Φ 0 3 0 0 tQ μ- ii P. 0 ø' P. Φ Φ CQ rt if in ø ø if OJ ø to 0 Ω Ϊ Φ ø H 0 ø ø P. Φ μ- ø to CQ ii H Φ ; Φ Hi • rt rt Φ rt Φ • 0 ) rt <! TJ Ω Pi μ- Ω ø 3 Φ μ- i < <! 0 0 H CO TJ OJ 0 3 J μ- tα rt rt CQ Ω cr Ω Φ OJ HI OJ φ li ii 0 0 OJ μ- ø ø H Φ Ω 0 ) if Φ 0 if ø μ- i μ- l-h Hi rt ø ϋ rt tr ø ø Ω J . 0 Φ CO Ω Hi Φ 0 H ø 0 0 0 ø 3 μ- μ- P. φ -. H 3 rt ø rt φ Ω 3 if Hi S φ 3 φ : φ : to rt Ω 0 μ- s; i O φ O rt Φ Φ φ ø 0 Ω TJ rt Φ . rt Φ OJ Φ if 0 ) ø Ω Φ rt 0 0 OJ Φ •» ø O 0 ø rt J if CD rt rt Ω s if rt rt 3 Φ H OJ t P. OJ Hi rt ϋ φ rt TJ 0 i φ Φ if ø- 0 φ if 0 if φ Ω 0 rt if 0 Φ 0 Φ μ- 3 Ω Ω ø φ 0 Pi TJ ø rt o φ P. 0 ii 0 OJ Ω 0 Hi O o 0 <i i rt P. ø μ- if rt H ϋ rt ø Oi if TJ P- Ω Pi μ- Pi to 0 x-> H Pi P. μ- Φ if ø 0 ) ii μ- Ω rt 0 Φ Ω $ OJ ø ø 0 OJ rt ø ø CO Φ φ Hi rt Φ H μ- <J 0 Φ rt μ- φ P. ii OJ O if OJ to OJ H P. rt if μ- OJ Ω t_l- CQ ii if Pi OJ Ω 0 ϋ 0 ø Φ μ- Ω 0 Φ Ω Ω Ω Φ 0 μ- φ to o rt φ Φ φ Ω 0 φ Ω ø rt ø ø Hi o Ω P. ii ø Ω rt Ω P. Ω ø Ω J Ω Ω 0 3 OJ rt 0 tr Ω rt Ω 0 Pi o 0 Φ 0 ø" 0 <rt to Ω μ- 0 0 rt rt 0 tr ø Φ 3 Φ - 0 ii ii Ω μ- OJ Φ li J 0 ø ii Ω Φ OJ ii Ω rt Pi li TJ φ 0 ≤ 0 0 Pi rt ø rt Pi Pi Hi ø rt 0 <_I- Pi Φ Pi ii μ- Φ if 0 μ- OJ 0 if 0 $ P. P. Hi μ- O i Φ μ- Pi μ- 0 Ω ø" P. φ μ- . Φ Ω 0 Φ o rt N ii 0 Pi Φ Hi if ø Φ ø 0 rt P. ø Φ ø ii φ Φ 0 Ω ø lP PJ rt Pi if φ ø Hi ii Φ Ω rt r to Ω if to < 10 •> Ω rt to ø Ω i μ- Φ P. I-" < Φ rt i rt Φ o if Φ φ TJ Φ Φ Ω rt Φ 0 ) OJ OJ ø μ- to Φ μ- if Φ ø H φ rt OJ rt rt X rt OJ OJ P. rt 0 T5 rt (_!. CQ . μ- Φ 0 CQ ø Φ μ- 0 3 H 0 CQ to ϋ O O 0 OJ if t ø O rt Ω OJ μ- Φ Φ ø μ- CQ ø Ω μ- H H ' μ- Φ OJ TJ 3 φ P. Ω OJ μ- 0 ii 0 Ω 3 < Pi Φ rt tr φ ø φ OJ 10 to OJ 3 Ω TJ μ- Φ 0 Ω rt OJ 0 rt φ Φ rt Ω if ø μ- CQ OJ 0 0 3 0 Φ f- 1 rt OJ μ- 1 *< 0> M Φ OJ H if 0 Ω Φ 0 0 ø ti ^ OJ Φ Φ ^ ø OJ φ Φ Ω μ- 0 ) rt rt P. CD 0 OJ 0 ø μ- 0 Hi Hi to rt ø rt μ- • 3 ø S3 μ- 0 Φ φ if 0 TJ rt Pi ϋ to Φ P. μ- tr 0 rt o 3 TJ 0 P. ø- 3 Hi P. φ lP ii 3 ø P. ii 0 rt Φ 0 tr OJ Ω 0 0 Φ ø μ- Φ ii ø Φ Φ OJ Ω μ- 3 Φ CQ if 0 ) Φ *< 0 φ Hi H i rt Ω H μ 1 Ω Hi Ω Φ OJ Pi 0 0 rt ø Φ Ω μ- rt Ω Φ rt ø - 0 ) TJ OJ Φ ~ 0 0 0 0 rt ø Ω ø rt to 0 0 3 <! P. 0 ct rt ø rt μ- 0 0 0 Hi rt μ- 0 to ϋ μ- ϋ to μ- Hi Φ 0 ø Hi ø' S ø rt O ø : > Pi 3 P. μ- £, 0 ø Ω Ω 0 μ- μ- ø P. Φ CD 0 ) Ω φ 0 * ii - ii tr 0 0 rt if Hi t_l. φ if ii Ω ø Pi μ- to rt 0 ø rt rt Φ Φ rt Φ Ω rt Ω OJ * Φ φ 0 Φ 0 t_l. μ- ø 3 P. if CO 3 OJ if Ω i € μ- if H, rt if rt 0 ii rt Ω μ- 3 Pi φ Ω Ω Φ μ- φ φ ø Φ 0 Φ 0 if to Φ Φ OJ φ OJ i 0 Φ if rt to C 1 Ω 0 ø <! 0 Ω 0 μ- ii Φ μ- 0 0 Hi μ- Φ Φ Φ ø Ω rt rt Ω rt μ- TJ Hi μ- Φ TJ Ω ø ii 3 Pi ø Ω Ω Ω $ ø i Ω i 0 0 Φ 0 0 ^ ø P. ii CD ii Φ rt Φ Φ Φ Φ 0 ) Φ if μ- Ω ø Pi 0 P. t. 0 φ Φ to μ- Φ 0 0 ) if μ- OJ <! 0 Φ ø rt 0 iQ O Pi •» P. Ω OJ P. CQ Ω rt Φ ø to φ ø μ- Ω O H P- if 0 ø Ω i S 0 μ- tr < Φ μ- Φ Φ i to ø ø 0 l-h Φ μ- φ Ω OJ 0 - Ω 0 s; Φ 0 μ- Pi P. rt ø Pi OJ φ Ω rt ii 0 ^ Pi μ- Ω Φ 0 tr Φ rt rt if ii ø μ- Φ CQ μ- rt Ω 0 if Φ TJ μ- OJ OJ ø OJ Ω 0 rt ø i ø 0 μ- 0 rt ø ii φ ø μ- O Φ P. 3 0 Ω rt rt OJ rt μ- rt 0 Φ ø Ω 0 3 O to 3 P. to 0 ø 0 Φ 0 OJ Φ Ω rt 0 H rt Φ 0 μ- Ω rt if ϋ Φ μ- ø P. ø Hi ø Φ rt Pi 0 if H P. OJ ^ P. Pi ø Φ if Φ ø OJ t 0 rt 0 M Φ μ- rt Φ 0 ø Λ Φ CD μ- ii ii Pi OJ 0 ) μ- 0 Hi rt μ- 0 ø P. CD 0 0 μ- 0 Ω 0 Hi H - ø P. OJ OJ Hi Hi OJ P. 0 0 Φ Ω 3 time segments, and wherein the segmental volume and the electric parallel conductance of a cardiac chamber or a blood vessel within the heartbeat are monitored continuously. 6. Apparatus for determining the segmental volume of a cardiac chamber or a blood vessel of a patient, comprising a processing unit having a control output for initiating the injection of a first indicator into the bloodstream of the patient, which influences the conductance of the blood, a first detector to be placed in a cardiac chamber or blood vessel for measuring a conductance signal, which depends on the electrical conductance at the location of the detector, wherein said processing unit is arranged for calculating the segmental volume of the cardiac chamber or the blood vessel from said conductance signal, characterized by a second detector to be placed in the bloodstream for measuring an indicator signal depending on a concentration of indicator in the blood, wherein said processing unit is arranged for calculating the cardiac output from the injected quantity of indicator and the indicator signal, and calculating the segmental volume and electrical parallel conductance of a cardiac chamber or a blood vessel from the calculated cardiac output, the injected quantity of conductance indicator and the conductance signal . 7. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said second detector is adapted for measuring the concentration of said conductance indicator. 8. Apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said control output initiates the injection of a second indicator, wherein said second detector is adapted for measuring the concentration of said second indicator. 9. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims 6 - 8, wherein said control output controls at least one injector device for injecting an indicator. 10. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding Claims 6 - 9, wherein said processing unit uses the calculated parallel conductance as a correction value for determining the segmental volume exclusively from said conductance signal . 11. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims 6 - 10, wherein said first and said second detector are housed in a common catheter. 12. Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said catheter also includes a lumen for injecting an indicator. 13. Catheter for use in a method or an apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by a first detector for measuring a conductance signal depending on the electrical conductance, and a second detector for measuring an indicator signal depending on a concentration of indicator in the blood. 14. Catheter according to claim 13, wherein said second detector comprises a number of parallel electrodes, which are preferably axially provided on the catheter. 15. Catheter according to claim 13 or 14, wherein said first detector is positioned near the distal end and said second detector is positioned some distance away from said distal end. 16. Catheter according to any one of the claims 13 - 15, wherein the catheter includes a lumen comprising at least one outlet opening between said first detector and said distal end. 17. Catheter according to any one of the claims 13 - 16, wherein said catheter comprises a third detector corresponding to said first detector, which is spaced from said distal end by such a distance that said third detector will be positioned in the aorta when said first detector is positioned in the heart .

Inventors: JANSEN JOZEF REINIER CORNELIS, KORNET LILIAN, SCHREUDER JOHANNES JACOBUS, JANSEN, JOZEF, REINIER, CORNELIS, KORNET, LILIAN, SCHREUDER, JOHANNES, JACOBUS
Applicants: JANSEN JOZEF REINIER CORNELIS, KORNET LILIAN, SCHREUDER JOHANNES JACOBUS, JANSEN, JOZEF, REINIER, CORNELIS, KORNET, LILIAN, SCHREUDER, JOHANNES, JACOBUS
Application year: 2001
Main classification: A61B5
IPC codes: A61B5