Patent ID: 8165656

Claim:
A medical system for calculating a velocity of pulse waves propagating along a patient blood vessel, comprising: an elongate medical device configured and arranged for insertion into a lumen of the patient blood vessel and positioning at a target velocity-measuring region along the blood vessel, the medical device comprising a first data collection device disposed on a first elongate section, and a second data collection device disposed on a second elongate section, wherein the target velocity-measuring region is the portion of the blood vessel between the first and second data collection devices, wherein at least a portion of the second elongate section on which the second data collection device is disposed is extendable from the first elongate section, wherein extending the second elongated section from the first elongate section causes a change in a distance between the first data collection device and the second data collection device, thereby causing a corresponding change in a length of the target velocity-measuring region, wherein one of the first or second data collection device is configured and arranged to collect first pulse wave data from a first pulse wave propagating along the blood vessel and the other of the first or second data collection device is configured and arranged to collect second pulse wave data from a second pulse wave propagating along the blood vessel; and a velocity measurement system communicatively coupled to both the first and second data collection devices, wherein the velocity measurement system is configured and arranged to collect both the first pulse wave data and the second pulse wave data, and wherein the velocity measurement system is configured and arranged to calculate the velocity of pulse waves propagating along the target velocity-measuring region based on both the first pulse wave data and the second pulse wave data.