A New Noninvasive Device for Measuring Central Ejection dP/dt Mathematical Foundation of Cardiac dP/dt Measurement Using a Model for a Collapsible Artery

We have developed a novel non-invasive device for the measurement of one of the most sensitive indices of myocardial contractility as represented by the rate of increase of intraventricular pressure (left ventricular dP/dt and arterial dP/dt performance index (dP/dt^ejc). Up till now, these parameters could be obtained only by invasive catheterization methods. The new technique is based on the concept of applying multiple successive occlusive pressures on the brachial artery from peak systole to diastole using a inflatable cuff and plotting the values against time intervals that leads to the reconstruction of the central aortic pressure noninvasively. The following describes the computer simulator developed for providing a mathematical foundation of the new sensor. At the core of the simulator lies a hemodynamic model of the blood flow on an artery under externally applied pressure. The purpose of the model is to reproduce the experimental results obtained in studies on patients (Gorenberg et al. in Cardiovasc Eng: 305–311, 2004; Gorenberg et al. in Emerg med J 22 (7): 486–489, 2005) and a animal model where ischemia resulted from balloon inflation during coronary catheterization (Gorenberg and Marmor in J Med Eng Technol, 2006) and to describe correlations between the dP/dt^ejc and other hemodynamic variables. The model has successfully reproduced the trends observed experimentally, providing a solid in-depth understanding of the hemodynamics involved in the new measurement. A high correlation between the dP/dt^ejc and the rate of pressure rise in the aorta during the ejection phase was observed. dP/dt^ejc dependence on other hemodynamic parameters was also investigated.