Cardiac Output/Stroke Volume Pulsed Doppler Flowmeter (FM)

Doppler velocity flow detectors have been used for years but cannot be applied directly to the aorta or pulmonary artery in closed chest patients, and are not accurate because of that. While access to the great vessels is easy during open-heart surgery many patients would benefit by doctors having direct cardiac output and stroke volume data in non open chest operations or even during heart attack. Develop a much more accurate doppler flowmeter and technique for attaching it to the great vessels using minimally invasive video assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). Through three small band-aid sized incisions, the endoscopic equipment can be used to attache the probes to the aorta and pulmonary artery with small "pull-away" patches for lead removal. The crystals will provide both velocity and vessel diameter simultaneously, making flow data easily derived. The probe will be easily attached by endoscopic surgeons without opening the chest and will interface with commercially available ultrasound equipment.