An instrument to measure the heat convection coefficient on the endocardial surface.
This work describes the fundamentals and calibration procedure of an instrument for in vivo evaluation of the heat convection coefficient between the endocardium and the circulating blood flow. The instrument is to be used immediately before radio-frequency cardiac ablation is performed. Thus, this instrument provides researchers with a valuable parameter to predict lesion size to be achieved by the procedure. The probe is a thermistor mounted in a Swan-Ganz catheter, and it is driven by a constant-temperature anemometer circuit. A 1D model of the sensor behaviour in a convective medium, the calibration procedure and the apparatus are explained in detail. Finally, a performance analysis of the instrument in the range of 200-3500 W m(-2) K(-1) shows that the average absolute error of full scale is 7.4%.
dos Santos
Icaro
I
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Texas at Austin, CO803, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
Shah
Jignesh
J
Ferreira da Rocha
Adson
A
Webster
John G
JG
Valvano
Jonathan W
JW
D000818:Animals; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D018481:Convection; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D004699:Endocardium / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D013610:Tachycardia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*