Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for the measurement of thoracic field potentiometry

US4953556A · kind A · utility

40Cited by
4References
17Claims
0Family size

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 29, 1988
Grant dateSep 4, 1990
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 29, 2008

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61B5/287
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Apparatus for measuring cardiac and/or pulmonary activity, comprising an electrical oscillator, a pair of electrodes for applying the oscillating electrical signal to the thorax of a patient, an oesophageal probe including an oesophageal electrode, a sensing electrode adapted to be positioned on the chest of the patient in the region of the apex of the heart, whereby measurement of voltage between the said first and second electrodes provides a measure of cardiac volumes, a third electrode adapted to be positioned on the chest of the patient at a position on the right side of the chest generally corresponding with that of the second electrode of the left side of the chest, whereby measurement of voltage between the said first and third electrodes provides a measure of volume of the right lung of the patient, a device for measuring the voltage induced between the first and second, and the first and third electrodes respectively, and for thereby providing first and second output signals respectively, indicative of cardiac and pulmonary activity respectively.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.