Optical and ultrasound probe for monitoring blood volume changes

A system for monitoring changes in blood volume and microvascular pooling in animals, comprising:

• a diagnostic apparatus attached to an extracorporeal blood treatment device, said diagnostic apparatus emitting and receiving an ultrasound wave and a light wave through blood flowing through said blood treatment device, said blood treatment device being adapted to connect an artery and a vein of said animal;
• a signal processing system, wherein said signal processing system determines a phase shift between said emitting and receiving ultrasound wave, and determines absorbance and reflectance of said light wave;
• at least two control units within said signal processing system for detecting compressibility, density, hematocrit and plasma protein concentration with high resolution, for assessing changes in said compressibility, density, hematocrit, and plasma protein concentration at an equivalent temperature, for initiating and recording ultrasound and light waves, and for monitoring physical parameters of modified blood;
• and
• a computer memory unit for determining blood volume and microvascular pooling from said hematocrit and density change.

A method for monitoring changes in blood volume and microvascular pooling in animals, comprising:

• conducting blood from a blood system to an extracorporeal blood treatment device and back into said blood system, said extracorporeal blood treatment device comprising tubing having a first branch and second branch and a dialysis system, said first tubing branch conducting blood from an arterial segment of said blood system to said dialysis system, and said second tubing branch conducting blood from said dialysis system to a venous segment of said blood system;
• emitting and receiving an ultrasound wave and a light wave through blood flowing through said extracorporeal blood treatment device via a diagnostic apparatus attached to said tubing of said extracorporeal blood treatment device;
• initiating and recording ultrasound waves and light transmissions;
• determining phase shift between emitting and receiving ultrasound waves;
• monitoring with high resolution sound velocity, density, compressibility, and optical density of blood, hematocrit, and plasma protein concentration;
• and assessing changes in said sound velocity, density, compressibility, optical density, hematocrit, and plasma protein concentration of modified blood at an equivalent temperature via a signal processing system;
• infusing an indicator fluid into said blood from said blood system via an infusion system connected to said extracorporeal blood treatment device, said infusion system containing a known amount of an indicator fluid, said indicator fluid being infused into said blood system at an infusion connection located upstream of said dialysis system and said diagnostic apparatus, wherein infusion of said indicator fluid into said blood system changes the density of said blood system as measured through said diagnostic apparatus and said signal processing system;
• calibrating phase shift as a function of density;
• and
• determining blood volume, changes in blood volume, changes in plasma protein concentration, and microvascular pooling from said hematocrit and density change via a computing system.