A technique for monitoring blood flow changes with miniaturized Doppler flow probes.

A method for constructing miniaturized Doppler blood flow probes is presented. Since these probes weigh less than 100 mg and have crystal heads less than 0.5 mm in size, they are suitable for chronic placement on vessels as small as 200 micron. The probes are positioned under the vessel and rotated to optimize the Doppler signal. While held in that position, the crystal head is attached to the adventitia of the vessel with cyanoacrylate glue. A cuff holding the vessel and probe in the chosen position is then formed in situ by the application of a drop of silicone polymer. Data are presented showing the linearity of a flow probe response with the volume blood flow at rates as low as 14 microliter/min. With the use of the uterine artery of the conscious, unrestrained rat as an example, the probe was demonstrated to detect a dynamic change in flow.

Validation of a third-generation Doppler system for studies of detailed aortic flow.

A multigated, third-generation Doppler velocity system has been developed and validated for detailed studies of aortic hemodynamics. The Doppler system employs a single 3-mm, 5-MHz crystal applied to the aorta at a fixed angle with respect to the flow axis and is capable of measuring velocity profile, blood vessel diameter, and integrated volume flow on a continuous, real-time basis. This represents a major developmental advance over existing first-generation, continuous-wave and second-generation, single-gated pulsed Doppler systems. Validation studies have been performed in vitro and in dogs. Aortic diameter was measured simultaneously with the volumetric Doppler system and with sonomicrometer probes. During changes in aortic diameter between 8 and 18 mm (n = 18), produced by temporary pulmonary artery occlusion or epinephrine infusion, quantitative agreement between the Doppler and sonomicrometer probes was found (r = 0.96). Velocity profile measurements and axial velocity values made with the Doppler system compared favorably with hot-film anemometry studies in vitro and in vivo. Although the current system is nondirectional, measurements of phasic aortic volume flow and absolute-time-averaged changes in flow rates showed an excellent correlation with chronically placed electromagnetic flow probes over a broad range of flow rates in vivo (1-5 l/min, n = 36, r = 0.95). This third-generation Doppler system should prove useful in clinical and research studies of detailed aortic hemodynamics.

Regional blood flow measurement with pulsed Doppler flowmeter in conscious rat.

Development of techniques for the continuous measurement of regional blood flow and vascular resistance in intact small animals has been impeded primarily by the bulkiness of flow probes. The availability of an ultrasonic pulsed Doppler flowmeter system enabled us to construct miniaturized probes using 1-mm-diameter piezoelectric crystals that emit a 20-mHz signal and receive the reflected sound waves from passing blood cells. The finished flow probe is approximately 2.5-4 mm long and 2 mm in cross-sectional diameter with lumen diameters appropriate for the rat, ranging from 0.7 to 1.2 mm. This report describes the materials and methods involved in constructing and implanting the probes in rats to monitor renal, mesenteric, and hindquarter blood flow velocity. The accuracy of the pulsed Doppler method in detecting changes in regional blood flow and vascular resistance was established by the demonstration of a highly significant correlation between velocity recorded from the Doppler unit and volume flow recorded simultaneously. These data indicate that the ultrasonic pulsed Doppler flowmeter provides the opportunity to measure changes in regional blood flow and vascular resistance in a conscious freely moving rat.