title: A servo-control system for open- and closed-loop blood pressure regulation.
abstract: An electropneumatic servo-control system is described that can reduce and control arterial blood pressure in experimental animals. The device has been proved useful in the analysis of pressure-dependent physiological processes and allows the following two modes of operation: 1) a conventional open-loop setting that will reduce arterial pressure to a preselected set point and 2) a closed-loop mode that enables an adjustment to a dynamic pressure set point (i.e., the controlled pressure is reduced to a constant value below a reference pressure). A pneumatic servo-control mechanism was chosen to provide minimal control latency. The accuracy of the system under physiological conditions is well within +/- 1 mmHg. The device can be useful in a number of studies demanding a precise regulation of local arterial pressure, such as experiments on blood flow autoregulation, arterial baroreceptor reflexes, and all experiments involving the study of pressure-dependent excretory and incretory functions of the kidney. The closed-loop setting is useful for studying physiological feedback systems.
authors.affiliation: I. Physiologisches Institut, Ruprecht-Karls Universität Heidelberg, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Nafz
authors.forename: P B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Persson
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ehmke
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Kirchheim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure; D004285:Dogs; D004559:Electric Wiring; D004867:Equipment Design; D004864:Equipment and Supplies; D005246:Feedback; D012077:Renal Artery / Q000502:physiology*