Doppler ultrasound in the evaluation of the peripheral arterial circulation

This review summarizes the principle, advantages, and limitations of Doppler ultrasound flowmeters, and discusses the possibilities of applying these systems in evaluating the functional state of the peripheral arterial circulation. This discussion is not limited to the assessment of blood flow velocity and poststenotic arterial pressure with Doppler flowmeters, but includes among other things the recordings of flow patterns, the determination of the transit time of velocity wave forms, and the imaging of the arterial circulation.