IN-VIVO COMPARISON BETWEEN 2-TIP PRESSURE TRANSDUCER SYSTEMS

Experimental findings are presented of an in vivo comparison between a Sentron catheter and another tip transducer manometer: a Millar micro tip catheter. Both catheters have been used simultaneously in the left ventricle of dogs. Pressure variations were elicited by drug infusion . Pressure values and derivatives obtained from both systems were comp ared. A cross correlation between episodes of the two pressures was co mputed. Results from this study showed good correlation between left v entricular systolic pressure measured with both manometers (R = 0.992, p < 0.0001), end-diastolic pressure (R = 0.809, p < 0.0001) and betwe en first derivatives: positive derivative (R = 0.993, p < 0.0001) and negative (R = 0.634, p < 0.0001). The mean cross correlation between b oth pressure signals was 0.61 +/- 0.04. In the frequency domain no sta tistical difference was found between the location of the maxima of th e peaks. It is concluded that a Sentron manometer can be a valid alter native, at a reasonable price, to a cheaper, though less accurate flui d filled catheter and a more expensive 'golden standard' microtip cath eter.