IMPLANTABLE BLOOD-VOLUME FLOWMETER FOR SMALL VESSELS

THIS RESEARCH AIMS TO DEVELOP AND VALIDATE A PERIVASCULAR, BLOOD-VOLUME FLOWMETER FOR USE IN SMALL ANIMAL MODELS. SUCHAN APPARATUS WILL FACILITATE NEW RESEARCH BECAUSE OF ITS SMALL-VESSEL (0.25 MM O.D.), LOW-FLOW (4 /MINUTE) CAPABILITIES. FURTHERMORE, IT WILL ALLOW THE MEDICAL RESEARCHER TO REPLACE MULTIANIMAL, ACUTE STUDIES WITH SINGLE-ANIMAL, CHRONIC STUDIES IN THOSE INSTANCES WHERE ANESTHESIA INFLUENCES ORGAN FUNCTION. THE FLOWMETER, A SCALED-DOWN VERSION OF APPARATUS CURRENTLY MANUFACTURED BY TRANSONIC SYSTEMS, INC., WILL UTILIZE ULTRASONIC TRANSIT-TIME PRINCIPLES TO MEASURE VOLUME FLOW DIRECTLY, USING NONCONSTRICTIVE FLOW SENSORS TO MINIMIZE ALTERATIONS OF THE FLOW UNDER STUDY. PHASE I WILL ADDRESS THE FEASIBILITY OF THE PLANS. PROTOTYPE, MINIATURIZED, FLOW SENSORS WILL BE CONSTRUCTED AND TESTED IN VITRO AND IN VIVO, AND MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGIES WILL BE EVALUATED. AT TWO INDEPENDENT UNIVERSITIES, CHRONIC AND ACUTE RESEARCH PROTOCOLS USING THE PROTOTYPE FLOW SENSORS WILL BE INITIATED. DURING PHASE II, PHASE I DESIGN INNOVATIONS WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO A PROTOTYPE FLOWMETER. ACCEPTANCE OF THIS FLOWMETER BY THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY WILL BE AIDED BY CONTINUED COLLABORATION WITH INVESTIGATORS ON PILOT RESEARCH PROJECTS.