Method, device and catheter for in vivo determining blood properties such as blood viscosity

Device for determining determined blood properties of a person, comprising a catheter, which comprises at least two electrode systems close to a distal end and connecting lines extending from the electrode systems to the proximal end of the catheter, a measuring device which is connectable to the connecting lines and which is embodied such that it can generate a measurement signal of the impedance between the electrode systems for a period of time longer than a cardiac cycle, and a processing device which is embodied such that it processes the measurement signal such that variations therein with a frequency in the order of magnitude of the heart frequency are filtered therefrom and determining properties of the blood from the filtered measurement signal.

Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the impedance measurement is a resistance measurement and/or capacitance measurement and/or a phase difference measurement.

Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the measuring device is received in an implantable unit.

Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the measuring device is combined with an implantable heart pacemaker unit and is provided with two electrically separated circuits each having an individual power source, wherein the one circuit is adapted for the pacemaker function and the other circuit is adapted for the impedance measurement.

Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the catheter is embodied such that the at least two electrode systems for performing the impedance measurement can be placed in the right-hand atrium of the heart.

Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that it comprises a catheter which is electrically connectable to the pacemaker unit with its proximal end and comprises one or more sensor electrodes and/or stimulating electrodes for the pacemaker function.

Device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that it is adapted to enable remote read-out of the determined factors of thrombosis formation and/or of inflammatory activity and/or the measured impedance values.

Catheter for a device as claimed in any of the foregoing claims, characterized in that this catheter comprises an intravascular part with at least two electrode systems for an impedance measurement, is electrically connectable with one end to the pacemaker unit, and comprises one or more sensor electrodes and/or stimulating electrodes for the pacemaker function.