An IBM PC-based system for experimental haemodynamic studies

An IBM PC-based real-time data acquisition, monitoring and analysis system for experimental haemodynamic studies was developed. Comprehensive haemodyn amic signals, such as aortic and left ventricular pressures, aortic and cor onary blood flows, two segmental lengths, two segmental thicknesses, electr ocardiogram and airway pressure, were acquired and monitored to assess card iac function. The system performs computer-aided analysis and derivations o n a number of haemodynamic parameters and cardiac function indices. The sys tem has been tested and validated extensively over a number of series of ex perimental haemodynamic studies to investigate the effects of anaesthetic a gents, cardiovascular drugs, and changes in loading on normal and criticall y ischaemic myocardium of anaesthetised laboratory subjects. Without this s pecialised and automated system, the analysis of the data acquired from the haemodynamic studies would be too time-consuming and could not be fully pe rformed. (C) 2000 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reser ved.