A thermal clearance probe for continuous monitoring of cerebral blood flow

Abstract

Thermal clearance has been used as a measure of tissue blood flow for over 60 years. We have developed a probe which can be used to monitor cerebral cortical thermal clearance in patients suffering from acute neurosurgical disorders. Despite its limitations of size, invasiveness, small sample volume, and difficult quantification it has proved a reliable method, showing a good correlation between measured thermal clearance and the onset of clinical signs of ischaemia.