Peripheral arterial monitoring instruments

Abstract

A method and apparatus are described for determining characteristics of peripheral arterial volume and compliance. A blood pressure cuff is inflated and deflated around a limb of the body and pressure measurements are taken. The volume of air removed from the cuff is determined in a quantifiable manner, such as by expelling air through an orifice of known characteristics or by means of a volume of know characteristics. The detected pressures and volume of air, removed are used to compute oscillation volume, which in turn is used to display arterial capacity and compliance as a function of transmural pressure and time. Arterial capacity may be displayed in terms of arterial radius, arterial cross-sectional area, or arterial volume. A display of these characteristics as a function of pre and post anesthetic administration is particularly useful to the anesthesiologist and surgeon.

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