title: The Development of a Wireless Implantable Blood Flow Monitor.
abstract: Microvascular anastomotic failure remains an uncommon but devastating problem. Although the implantable Doppler probe is helpful in flap monitoring, the devices are cumbersome, easily dislodged, and plagued by false-positive results. The authors have developed an implantable wireless Doppler monitor prototype from off-the-shelf components and tested it in a swine model. The wireless probe successfully distinguished between femoral vein flow, occlusion, and reflow, and wirelessly reported the different signals reliably. This is the first description of a wireless implantable blood flow sensor for flap monitoring. Future iterations will incorporate an integrated microchip-based Doppler system that will decrease the size to 1 mm, small enough to fit onto an anastomotic coupler.
authors.affiliation: Pittsburgh, Pa. From the Departments of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
authors.forename: Jignesh V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Unadkat
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rothfuss
authors.forename: Marlin H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Mickle
authors.forename: Ervin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sejdic
authors.forename: Michael L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Gimbel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005268:Femoral Vein / Q000502:physiology*; D018056:Hemorheology; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation*; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D013524:Surgical Flaps / Q000098:blood supply*; D013552:Swine; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler / Q000295:instrumentation*; D059015:Wireless Technology