Continuous Non-invasive Measurements of Cardiovascular Function

The goal of this thesis was to design, develop and improve non-invasive measurements in order to evaluate the function of heart and autonomic nervous system. A medical device the Task Force Monitor has been designed for the online evaluation of medical conditions. It is characterized by the measurement of short-term changes in hemodynamic and autonomic cardiovascular control parameters. The system provides a combination of three technologies:

Continuous non-invasive arterial pressure (CNAP) for pulse waveform and for every single heart beat using vascular unloading technique for blood pressure measurement. A new control concept having several interlocking loops is described.

Continuous non-invasive cardiac output and stroke volume (CNCO) using impedance cardiography. New aspects of estimating electrical participating thoracic volume and new hard- and software designs are introduced.

Continuous non-invasive assessment of autonomic cardiovascular control (CNAA) using heart rate and blood pressure variability and baroreceptor reflex sensitivity. The algorithms are designed for on-line fast tracking changes using a new adaptive concept of autoregressive parameters.

For using CNAP, CNCO and CNAA independently and in stand alone devices, CNAP and CNCO are redesigned as autonomously working modules and the algorithms for CNAA are available as software library.