Variable illumination of a lumen for acoustic blood flow measurement
US5363848A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 16, 1992 |
| Grant date | Nov 15, 1994 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 16, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01F1/668
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
In an acoustic flowmeter of the transit time or Doppler type the electro/acoustic, and/or acousto/electric, gain of one or more elongate acoustic transducers is varied spatially along the length of the transducer. When the transducer(s) are situated across the width of a lumen that is both flowing fluid and surrounded by material that attenuates sound differently that does the fluid during acoustic fluid flow measurement, the differing transducer(s') gain(s) serves to compensate for differing acoustic attenuations in different acoustic paths. Particularly during in-vivo acoustic blood flow measurement, the non-uniform acoustic gain(s) serves to compensate for the differing acoustic attenuations of blood and tissue, commonly fat, surrounding a blood vessel, and to produce a more accurate measurement of blood flow.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.