title: Non-specialist ultrasound measuring of access flow: new technology.
abstract: A new ultrasound instrument has been developed, using vector Doppler and embedded machine intelligence, to enable measurement of access flow rates by non-specialists. Ultrasound measurement of access flow can be performed with the patient off the dialysis machine, avoiding the hemodynamic changes that may affect indicator-dilution methods. A research version of the instrument was tested on flow phantoms simulating graft flow, and showed accuracy better than 5%. A non-specialist measured flow in the access grafts of 7 consenting dialysis patients; the instrument showed flows commensurate with indicator-dilution-measured flows, but with less variability. Measurements were made in less than 5 min per patient. The cost per measurement is calculated to be significantly less than that of present methods of measuring flow. The new instrument may become a useful tool for monitoring flow in accesses to extend their life.
authors.affiliation: DVX, LLC, Kingston, NJ 08528, USA. dvldvx@comcast.net
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vilkomerson
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chilipka
authors.forename: Andrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nazarov
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuhlmann
authors.forename: Nathan W
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Levin
mesh_terms: D000488:Allied Health Personnel / Q000191:economics; D001132:Arm / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling; D004867:Equipment Design; D045268:Flowmeters; D006801:Humans; D015588:Observer Variation; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex / Q000191:economics / Q000295:instrumentation*