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Estimated mean flow resistance increase during coronary artery catheterization
1Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena 91109.
Journal of Biomechanics
|February 1, 1994
Summary
Catheter presence and size significantly increase coronary flow resistance, potentially inflating pressure drop measurements. This study quantifies these obstruction effects for better clinical interpretation of coronary pressure gradients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular physiology
- Biomedical engineering
- Medical device design
Background:
- Mean translesional pressure gradients in coronary vessels are often reported as large.
- These large gradients may be artifacts caused by catheter obstruction effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how catheter presence and size influence coronary pressure drop and flow resistance.
- To evaluate the impact of catheter obstruction on measured pressure gradients.
Main Methods:
- Employed analytical flow modeling.
- Utilized in vitro experimental evidence.
- Estimated flow resistance increases for concentric and eccentric catheter configurations.
Main Results:
- Angioplasty catheters (0.3-0.7 di/d(o)) increased flow resistance by 3-33 times in concentric configurations.
- Smaller infusion catheters and guidewires also caused significant flow resistance increases.
- Catheter eccentricity led to substantial, though lesser, increases in flow resistance.
Conclusions:
- Catheter obstruction significantly impacts measured pressure gradients in coronary vessels.
- Results can help clinicians estimate true in vivo pressure gradients from catheter measurements.
- Findings may apply to other vascular systems describable by Poiseuille flow.