Apparatus, computer program, central venous catheter assembly and method for hemodynamic monitoring

Apparatus for hemodynamic monitoring, said apparatus comprising

• (a) a central venous catheter assembly having a proximal end and a distal end, said central venous catheter assembly comprising at least one lumen and heating means in the immediate proximity of said distal end adapted to emit heat pulses for, introducing travelling temperature deviations to a patient's blood circulation,
• (b) means for determining the power transferred by the heating means as a function of time, the power transferred during emission of each heat pulse thereby representing an input signal corresponding to the respective heat pulse,
• (c) an arterial catheter assembly comprising temperature sensing means for measuring the local blood temperature in an artery of said patient as a function of time, thus determining for each said input signal a corresponding system response, and pressure sensing means for measuring said patient's arterial blood pressure AP(t) as a function of time, thus creating an arterial blood pressure curve, and
• (d) computing means having implemented thereon executable operations for determining a reference cardiac output value of said patient from at least one said input signal and said respective corresponding system response and for repeatedly determining hemodynamic parameters from said arterial blood pressure curve by pulse contour analysis using said reference cardiac output value.

Hemodynamic monitoring method comprising the steps of

• (a) providing a central venous catheter assembly having a proximal end and a distal end, said central venous catheter assembly comprising at least one lumen and heating means in the immediate proximity of said distal end
• (b) emitting heat pulses through said heating means for introducing travelling temperature deviations to a patient's blood circulation,
• (c) determining the power transferred by the heating means as a function of time, the power transferred during emission of each heat pulse thereby representing an input signal corresponding to the respective heat pulse,
• (d) providing an arterial catheter assembly comprising temperature sensing means and pressure sensing means
• (e) measuring through said temperature sensing means the local blood temperature in an artery of said patient as a function of time, thus determining for each said input signals a corresponding system response,
• (f) measuring through said pressure sensing means said patient's arterial blood pressure AP(t) as a function of time, thus creating an arterial blood pressure curve
• (g) determining a reference cardiac output value of said patient from at least one said input signal and said respective corresponding system response.

Hemodynamic monitoring method comprising the steps of

• (a) providing a central venous catheter assembly having a proximal end and a distal end, said central venous catheter assembly comprising at least one lumen and heating means in the immediate proximity of said distal end
• (b) emitting heat pulses through said heating means for introducing travelling temperature deviations to a patient's blood circulation,
• (c) determining the power transferred by the heating means as a function of time, the power transferred during emission of each heat pulse thereby representing an input signal corresponding to the respective heat pulse,
• (d) providing an arterial catheter assembly comprising temperature sensing means and pressure sensing means
• (e) measuring through said temperature sensing means the local blood temperature in an artery of said patient as a function of time, thus determining for each said input signals a corresponding system response,
• (f) measuring through said pressure sensing means said patient's arterial blood pressure AP(t) as a function of time, thus creating an arterial blood pressure curve
• (g) determining a reference cardiac output value of said patient from at least one said input signal and said respective corresponding system response, and
• (h) determining repeatedly hemodynamic parameters from said arterial blood pressure curve by pulse contour analysis using said reference cardiac output value.