Laser Doppler technique for the measurement of digital and segmental systolic blood pressure.
A technique is described for measuring digital and segmental systolic blood pressure by laser Doppler fluxmetry. A transparent plastic capsule contains the small sphygmomanometer cuff connected to a Statham manometer. It has a hole for positioning the probe at the very tips of fingers or toes. An advantage of this method over the conventional strain-gauge technique is that it is better suited for determinations at short digits where it is difficult to fix a strain-gauge. Moreover, it allows consecutive pressure and flux measurements at almost identical distal sites without moving the probe. The correlation between the values obtained by the conventional and laser Doppler procedures are excellent. Systolic pressures were determined on 14 extremities of 7 healthy controls and on 20 extremities of 14 patients with intermittent claudication due to peripheral arterial occlusive disease. Measuring sites were the upper arm, forearm, index finger, ankle and big toe. The values agree well with those obtained earlier by the strain-gauge technique.
Beinder
E
E
Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital, Zurich.
Hoffmann
U
U
Franzeck
U K
UK
Huch
A
A
Huch
R
R
Bollinger
A
A
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015924:Blood Pressure Monitors; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000098:blood supply; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012212:Rheology; D014034:Toes / Q000098:blood supply