Numerical Model for Ultrasonic Blood Flow Meters

Ultrasonic Doppler flow measurement devices have enabled a non-intrusive evaluation of blood characCurrent correlations of volumetric blood flow rate to Doppler shift frequency are based on very simpand flow models. The interactions between the ultrasonic beam and whole blood flow is complicated byfinite sample volumes, and overlapping of acoustic signals from individual erythrocytes. The signalvessel wall structure which can exhibit large variations in material properties depending on vesselis aimed at developing a numerical model to characterize and quantify the interaction between ultrasblood flow in small and large vessels. The model will accurately correlate the sample volume. Dopplepower density with the mean blood velocity and will determine the effect of structural properties ofultrasonic echo signature. Laboratory experiments for model validation will be performed at the PennUniversity. The analysis will lead to a better understanding of the acoustic-field velocity interactbe also useful in assessing the validity of widely used simplistic correlations between the Doppler