Intrathoracic electrical impedance measurements from an esophageal probe

The sensing of intrathoracic electrical impedance from an esophageal probe may allow relatively noninvasive monitoring of cardiac and respiratory functions of particular interest in anesthesia and intensive care. We have obtained a partial solution of the intrathoracic current-field problem for impedance measurements made from a four-terminal linear array of electrodes located in the esophagus. It allows prediction that aortic root motion will exceed aortic distension as a major determinant of the cardiac intrathoracic esophageal impedance signal. This prediction was confirmed for a specific carefully selected and placed electrode array in anesthetized dogs. In general, motions of organs will be more important than volume changes in affecting the esophageal impedance signal. Thus, timing information (preejection period and left ventricular ejection time) is available from electrodes on an esophageal probe, but cardiac output information appears to be inaccessible for fundamental reasons.