Heat transfer analysis for peripheral blood flow measurement system

Some disorders such as circulatory disease and metabolic abnormality cause many problems to peripheral blood flow condition. Therefore, frequent measurement of the blood flow condition is bound to contribute to precaution against those disorders and to control of conditions of the diseases. We propose a convenient means of blood flow volume measurement at peripheral part, such as fingertips. Principle of this measurement is based on heat transfer characteristics of peripheral part containing the blood flow. Transition response analysis of skin surface temperature has provided measurement model of the peripheral blood flow volume. We developed the blood flow measurement system based on that model and evaluated it by using artificial finger under various temperature conditions of ambience and internal fluid. The evaluation results indicated that proposed method could estimate the volume of the fluid regardless of temperature condition of them. Finally we applied our system to real finger testing and have obtained results correlated well with laser Doppler blood flow meter values.