Apparatus and method for characterizing arterial stiffness
AssigneesWisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, The United States Government as represented by the Department of Veterans Affairs
InventorsAdam D. Gepner, Ryan Pewowaruk
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A load-dependent component and a structural component of arterial wall stiffness are determined without the need to make measurements of vessel dimensions, for example, using pulse wave velocities, allowing these two components of stiffness to be determined without a skilled sonographer and offering improved treatment and diagnosis of diseases including cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease.
Claims19
An apparatus for determination of arterial stiffening comprising:
- a pressure monitor adapted to provide a measure of arterial blood pressure in a human patient;
- a first and second sensor configured to be independently positionable at different locations on the body and adapted to determine an arterial pulse wave velocity to provide a measure of total arterial stiffness;
- and
- an electronic processor communicating with the pressure monitor and arterial pulse wave velocity monitor and executing a stored program to:
- (a) collect total arterial stiffness values and arterial blood pressures;
- (b) fit the collected arterial stiffness values and arterial blood pressures to a nonlinear model of arterial elasticity;
- and
- (c) provide outputs, based on the fit nonlinear model, indicating a load-dependent stiffness representing a change in elasticity with arterial distention and a structural stiffness representing the elasticity at a predetermined arterial blood pressure.
A method for determination of structural stiffness and load-dependent arterial stiffness employing a pressure monitor adapted to provide a measure of arterial blood pressure in a human patient and a first and second sensor configured to be independently positionable at different locations on the body and adapted to determine an arterial pulse wave velocity to provide a measure of total arterial stiffness, the pressure monitor and arterial pulse wave velocity monitor communicating with an electronic processor operating to:
- collect total arterial stiffness values and arterial blood pressures;
- fit the collected arterial stiffness values and arterial blood pressures to a nonlinear model of arterial elasticity;
- and
- (a) operate the processor to measure arterial blood pressure and total arterial stiffness;
- (b) operate the processor to fit the collected arterial stiffness values and arterial blood pressures to the nonlinear model of arterial elasticity;
- and
- (c) operate the processor to output the load-dependent arterial stiffness representing a change in elasticity with arterial distention and the structural stiffness representing an elasticity at a predetermined arterial blood pressure, based on the fit nonlinear model.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.