Noninvasive apparatus and method for the determination of cardiac valve function
OwnerWalter S. Seitz, Steven P. Olseninventors
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Abstract
A method and device for determining a plurality of cardiovascular parameters are described, wherein the parameters are determined from noninvasively obtained data, thereby obviating the need for invasive procedures such as cardiac catheterization. These determinations are enabled by incorporating fluid dynamics and thermodynamics equations with noninvasively obtained mechanical cardiac event data to estimate a desired cardiovascular parameter. Exemplary parameters obtainable with the method and device include aoritc and mitral valve areas, cardiac left ventricular stroke volume, and aortic and mitral valve pressure gradients.
Claims1
A noninvasive method of measuring a cardiac valve insufficiency comprising the steps of:
- performing a noninvasive geometric measurement of a heart;
- deriving a right and a left heart stroke volume from the geometric measurement;
- calculating a regurgitant fiaction by subtracting a ratio of the right stroke volume divided by the left stroke volume from 1;
- and
- comparing the regurgitant fraction to a predetermined minimum value, a regurgitant fraction less than the predetermined minimum value indicative of cardiac valve insufficiency.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.