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Published on: September 17, 2015
Determination of left ventricular volume using a conductance catheter in the diseased human heart
M Odake1, M Takeuchi, H Takaoka
1First Department of Internal Medicine, Kobe University School of Medicine, Japan.
Insights
The conductance catheter method accurately measures human left ventricular (LV) volume in patients with heart disease. This method, when corrected for calibration factors, provides reliable LV volume data throughout the cardiac cycle.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Medical Imaging
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Accurate measurement of left ventricular (LV) volume is crucial for assessing cardiac function, especially in patients with ischemic heart disease.
- Traditional methods for LV volume assessment can be invasive or provide only intermittent data.
- The conductance catheter technique offers continuous, beat-to-beat LV volume monitoring.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate the accuracy of the human left ventricular (LV) volume measured by the conductance catheter method.
- To compare conductance volume measurements with LV volume determined by biplane angiography in patients with ischemic heart disease.
- To assess the reliability of the conductance catheter method in both normal and depressed cardiac states.
Main Methods:
- Nineteen patients with ischemic heart disease underwent simultaneous left ventricular (LV) volume measurement using conductance catheter and biplane angiography.
- Angiographic LV volumes were calculated frame-by-frame and matched with instantaneous conductance volumes.
- Calibration of the conductance catheter involved determining the gain constant (1/alpha) and parallel conductance (alpha Vc) using thermodilution and saline injection methods, respectively.
Main Results:
- A strong correlation was observed between corrected conductance volume (Vcc) and angiographic volume (V angio): Vcc = 0.94 V angio + 5.3 ml (r = 0.94, P < 0.001).
- The correlation coefficients did not differ significantly between normal and depressed heart function.
- Conductance catheter measurements accurately determined LV end-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume, and ejection fraction compared to angiographic data.
Conclusions:
- The conductance catheter method, when corrected for gain constant and parallel conductance, accurately estimates human left ventricular (LV) volume.
- This validated method allows for continuous LV volume assessment throughout the cardiac cycle in diseased hearts.
- The conductance catheter provides a reliable tool for evaluating cardiac function in patients with ischemic heart disease.
Abstract:
To validate the accuracy of human left ventricular (LV) volume measured by the conductance catheter method, conductance volume was compared with LV volume measured by biplane angiography in 19 patients with ischaemic heart disease. Angiographic LV volumes were calculated frame by frame and matched with instantaneous conductance volumes. Calibration was determined by both gain constant, 1/alpha, and parallel conductance, alpha V c. The gain constant, 1/alpha, was the ratio of stroke volume measured by the thermodilution method to that measured by the conductance catheter. The parallel conductance, alpha Vc, was estimated by the saline injection method. There was a good correlation between the corrected conductance volume (Vcc) and the angiographic volume (V angio) such that Vcc = 0.94 V angio + 5.3 ml, r = 0.94, P < 0.001. There were no differences in the correlation coefficients between normal and depressed hearts. Compared with the angiographic data, LV end-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume and ejection fraction were determined accurately by the conductance catheter. We conclude that the conductance catheter method, corrected for gain constant and parallel conductance, can accurately and continuously estimate the LV volume throughout the cardiac cycle in the diseased human heart.
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