Cardiac Output (CO) Technology

Overview

Our Technology provides an advanced solution for monitoring cardiac output, a critical parameter in assessing circulatory function.Cardiac Output (CO) represents the volume of blood the heart pumps into systemic circulation per minute, serving as a crucial indicator of overall circulatory system function and cardiac performance. In clinical practice, CO is a fundamental metric for assessing circulatory dynamics, typically ranging from 4 to 7 L/min in adults. This parameter, along with related measurements, enables the calculation of a comprehensive suite of hemodynamic indices, which are vital for guiding clinical treatments such as drug administration, infusion therapy, and fluid management. CO monitoring is particularly valuable for critically ill patients, those undergoing major surgery, cardiac patients, and individuals with hemodynamically unstable conditions.

Basic Principle: Thermal Dilution MethodThe CO Technology system utilizes the thermal dilution method to measure cardiac output. This process involves:

• Catheter Placement:A floating catheter is inserted from the superior vena cava, traversing the atrium and ventricle, to accurately position its tip within the pulmonary artery.

• Injectate Administration:A precise amount of physiological saline or glucose solution, typically at 0°C or room temperature, is instantaneously injected through the catheter's injection port into the heart.

• Temperature Measurement:The significant temperature differential between the injectate and the blood induces a rapid, localized change in blood temperature. As blood circulates, its temperature quickly normalizes. A high-sensitivity thermistor located at the catheter's tip in the pulmonary artery accurately records these transient blood temperature changes.

• Data Analysis:This recorded data forms a time-thermal dilution curve, which is then analyzed using specific formulas and algorithms to precisely calculate cardiac output.

Thermal Dilution Curve:

Key Advantages

The CO Technology system offers several key advantages designed for clinical reliability and accuracy:• Robust System Security Design:

o Energy Release Control Module:Employs a sophisticated triple control system—comprising an energy release control circuit, an energy release timeout control circuit, and a timeout hardware control circuit—to regulate heat release from the floating catheter. Heat release is initiated only when all three circuits confirm heating requirements, and the system immediately ceases heat release upon request, ensuring paramount patient safety.

o Floating Tube Heat Release Device Status Monitoring:Continuously monitors the state of the floating catheter's heat release device, which is particularly critical in continuous monitoring mode. This involves tracking the voltage and current across the heat release ends of the conduit to analyze changes in working temperature, released power, and energy. This monitoring ensures accurate control and measurement, even in scenarios where the catheter might be placed externally or in static blood conditions.

• Comprehensive Parameter Calculation Functions:Beyond directly measured parameters, the system provides extensive calculation capabilities to derive a full spectrum of hemodynamic and oxygenation parameters. These calculations integrate patient information and direct measurements, adhering to methodologies outlined in the Edwards Critical Care Education, Second Edition, and pertinent hemodynamic monitoring literature.

• Guaranteed Precision and Accuracy:The system has undergone rigorous validation through numerous clinical trials to ensure measurement accuracy in real-world settings. For clinical validation, a well-established commercial product supporting intermittent cardiac displacement measurement via the standard thermal dilution method served as the reference device. Due to the inherent nature of cardiac displacement measurement, the system and reference equipment were used to alternately measure test subjects, meticulously recording data and system states to confirm precision.