An isothermal flowmeter with improved frequency response for measuring tissue blood flow

Abstract

An isothermal flowmeter with improved frequency response for measuring tissue blood flow was developed using thermistors. Direct heating of the thermistors allows a simple construction of small (0.5 mm outer diameter) capillary probes which do not require any additional heating coil. The changes of a feedback current necessary to keep the thermistor at a constant increment above tissue temperature indicate tissue blood flow; a second thermistor compensates variations of tissue temperature. The dynamic performance of the device shows a low-pass characteristic with a cut-off frequency higher than 5 Hz. For low flow rates the output signal was found to be proportional to the flow; for higher flow rates a linearization was necessary. Since tissue temperature can be recorded continuously, intermittent quantitative in-vivo calibration seems possibly by evaluation of "heater off" curves in the perfused and non-perfused tissue. As the flowmeter is insensitive to tissue temperature, it can be used for long-term recordings.