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The Development of a Wireless Implantable Blood Flow Monitor.
Jignesh V Unadkat1, Michael Rothfuss, Marlin H Mickle
1Pittsburgh, Pa. From the Departments of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
|June 26, 2015
Summary
A novel wireless implantable Doppler monitor prototype was developed for flap monitoring. This device reliably detects blood flow, occlusion, and reflow, offering a significant advancement over current methods.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Surgical Technology
- Medical Devices
Background:
- Microvascular anastomotic failure is a rare but severe complication in reconstructive surgery.
- Current implantable Doppler probes for flap monitoring are bulky, prone to displacement, and yield frequent false positives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a prototype wireless implantable Doppler monitor for enhanced flap monitoring.
- To overcome the limitations of existing Doppler monitoring devices.
Main Methods:
- Development of an implantable wireless Doppler monitor prototype using readily available components.
- Testing the prototype in a swine model to assess its performance in monitoring blood flow.
Main Results:
- The wireless probe accurately distinguished between femoral vein flow, occlusion, and reflow.
- Reliable wireless transmission of blood flow signals was achieved.
- This represents the first description of a wireless implantable blood flow sensor for flap monitoring.
Conclusions:
- The developed wireless Doppler monitor prototype shows promise for reliable flap monitoring.
- Future iterations aim to miniaturize the device for integration with anastomotic couplers, further improving its clinical utility.
