A microcomputer system for assessment of peripheral blood flow. An example of nasal blood flow

We have designed and implemented a microcomputer system for studying the effect of various mediator substances on the nasal blood flow. The system uses an IBM PC/AT microcomputer, which is connected with a Laser Doppler Flowmeter (LDF) and an iontophoretic drug application system. The LDF measures flux from the tissue that in the example is the inferior nasal turbinate. The flux is converted to digital form by an analog-digital converter of 12 bits. The program is implemented in the Pascal language. In the analysis, a flux level, amplitude, rise time and decay time of the pulse wave are determined. The effect of drugs on the flux can be studied by applying them iontophoretically. In the program the length and number of the drug application periods as well as the recording period are user-driven. In the nasal blood flow iontophoretically administered adrenaline reduced significantly the flux parameters and histamine canceled this effect. Tachyphylalaxis was a frequent observation in repeated measurements. The system can be used to evaluate the role of different transmitters in the etiology of chronic rhinitis.