A mechanism for positioning devices inside large blood vessels

¹ Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota

In order to facilitate the positioning of various velocity sensing devices in arteries, several types of probe configurations and external controllers were developed. The most successful of these is small enough to use in arteries of 3–4 mm or larger. It utilizes three legs placed around the end of a catheter-like probe. At the end of this probe the velocity sensor is placed, generally a hot film anemometer in this study. By the manipulation of the external controller the legs, which are mechanically connected to the controller, may be moved relative to one another so that the probe end will visit any point over a given cross section of artery. The controller may be calibrated in order to determine any probe position to ±10% and also to measure the vessel inner diameter at the point of investigation. Brief constructional details of both probe tip and controller are given.

Submitted on January 27, 1964