In vitro validation of a thermodilution right ventricular ejection fraction method

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Physiology
• Medical Device Technology

Background:

• Accurate measurement of right ventricular function is crucial for diagnosing and managing cardiac conditions.
• Existing methods for assessing right ventricular ejection fraction and volumes can be invasive or lack precision.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the performance and accuracy of a novel thermodilution catheter and computer system for measuring right ventricular ejection fraction (EF) and volumes.
• To compare thermodilution-derived parameters with established values in an in vitro pulsatile flow model.

Main Methods:

• An in vitro pulsatile flow model was utilized to simulate cardiac function.
• A thermodilution system was employed to measure ejection fraction (EF), cardiac output (CO), stroke volume (SV), end-diastolic volume (EDV), and end-systolic volume (ESV).
• Thermodilution measurements were compared against known values from the pulsatile flow model.

Main Results:

• Thermodilution EF measurements showed excellent correlation with the pulsatile flow model (r² = 0.95).
• Cardiac output (CO) and stroke volume (SV) measurements were highly predictive (r² = 0.99 and r² = 0.98, respectively).
• End-diastolic volume (EDV) and end-systolic volume (ESV) measurements exhibited low mean errors (-1.8% and 0.6%) with good repeatability.

Conclusions:

• The developed thermodilution system provides accurate and repeatable measurements of right ventricular ejection fraction and volumes.
• This method demonstrates high predictive value for cardiac output and stroke volume.
• The validated thermodilution system offers a promising tool for assessing right ventricular function.