Systems and methods for evaluating hemodialysis arteriovenous fistula maturation
AssigneeVolcano Corporation
InventorsBradley S. Matsubara, John Unser
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to evaluation of maturity of arteriovenous (AV) fistula using guidewires that measure intravascular blood flow and/or pressure. The invention provides methods of evaluating AV fistula maturation using an instrumented guidewire to measure intravascular flow and/or pressure. By using a small diameter guidewire that does not interfere substantially with the flow, an accurate measurement can be made that is useful for identifying when a fistula is mature and therefore ready to be used for hemodialysis. The flow of blood through the fistula is measured using the guidewire and the measured flow and/or pressure of blood is used to determine if the fistula is mature.
Claims21
A method for assessing maturation of a fistula, the method comprising:
- inserting an instrumented guidewire into a vessel of a patent, the vessel comprising a fistula providing fluid communication between the vessel and an adjacent vessel;
- measuring flow of blood through the fistula using the guidewire;
- and
- using the measured flow of blood to determine if the fistula is mature.
A system for assessing maturation of a fistula, the system comprising:
- a sensing guidewire comprising a sensor and configured to be inserted into a vessel of a patient;
- and
- a computer communicatively linked with the sensing guidewire, the computer operable to receive a measurement from the sensor and use the measurement to determine an observed rate of blood flow through a fistula.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.