Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Review of intracoronary Doppler catheters

  • Published:
The International Journal of Cardiac Imaging Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

During the last 20 years several types of Doppler catheters have been developed and applied to the measurement of coronary blood flow velocity in man. Validation studies in the laboratory and in animals have shown that these catheters can accurately measure velocity from a small sample volume beside or ahead of the catheter tip. The Doppler transducers have been miniaturized enough (<1 mm dia) to be mounted on subselective coronary catheters or balloon angioplasty catheters without compromising any of the normal catheter functions. Good quality, high fidelity velocity signals have been recorded from many sites within the coronary circulation of patients during coronary arteriography and balloon angioplasty. Coronary flow reserve measured with Doppler catheters is a physiologic index of the severity of a stenosis which, when carefully measured, can be used for assessing lesions, planning treatment, and evaluating the success of interventions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Plass KG. A new ultrasonic flowmeter for intravascular application. IEEE Trans on Biomed Engrg BME 1964; 11: 154–6.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Studer U, Fricke G, Scheu H. Testing of an improved ultrasound flowmeter: technical description and results of testing in vitro. Cardiovasc Res 1970; 4: 380–7.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Stegall HF, Stone HL, Bishop VS. A catheter-tip pressure and velocity sensor. Proc 20th ACEMB 1967; 27: 4.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Benchimol A, Stegall HF, Maroko PR, Gartlan JL, Brener L. Aortic flow velocity in man during cardiac arrythmias measured with the Doppler catheter-flowmeter system. Am Heart J 1969; 78: 649–59.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Benchimol A, Stegall HF, Gartlan JL. New method to measure phasic coronary blood velocity in man. Am Heart J 1971; 81: 93–101.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Kalmanson D, Toutain G, Novikoff N. Derai C. Retrograde catheterization of left heart cavities in dogs by means of an orientable directional Doppler catheter-tip flowmeter: a preliminary report. Cardiovasc Res 1972; 6: 309–18.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Reid JM, Davis DL, Ricketts HJ, Spencer MP. A new Doppler flowmeter system and its operation with catheter mounted transducers. In: Cardiovascular applications of ultrasound, edited by RS Reneman, New York, American Elsevier, 1974; pp. 183–92.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Peronneau PA, Leger F. Doppler ultrasonic pulsed blood flowmeter. Proc 8th ICMBE 1969; 10–11.

  9. Baker DW. Pulsed ultrasonic Doppler blood flow sensing. IEEE Trans on Sonics and Ultrasonics 1970; SU-17: 170–85.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Hartley CJ, Cole JS. A single-crystal ultrasonic catheter-tip velocity probe. Med Instrum 1974; 8: 241–3.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Cole JS, Hartley CJ. The pulsed Doppler coronary catheter: preliminary report of a new technique for measuring rapid changes in coronary artery flow velocity in man. Circulation 1977; 56: 18–25.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Hartley CJ, Richards KL, Cole JS. Pulsed Doppler coronary artery catheter transducers. In: SA Altobelli, WF Voyles, ER Greene, eds., Cardiovascular ultrasonic flowmetry. New York: Elsevier, 1985: 279–98.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Richards KL, Hartley CJ, Cannon S. Usefulness of Doppler catheters in assessment of coronary artery blood flow. In: MP Spencer, ed., Cardiac Doppler diagnosis. Boston: Martinus Nijhoff 1983: 91–7.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Dole WP, Richards KL, Hartley CJ, Alexander GM, Campbell AB, Bishop VS. Diastolic coronary artery pressure-flow velocity relationships in conscious man. Cardiovasc Res 1984; 18: 548–54.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Meier B. Coronary angioplasty, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, New York: 1987: 83–5.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Wilson RF, Laughlin DE, Ackell PH, Chilian WM, Holida MD, Hartley CJ, Armstrong ML, Marcus ML, White CW. Transluminal, subselective measurement of coronary artery blood flow velocity and vasodilator reserve in man. Circulation 1985; 72: 82–92.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Sibley DH, Millar HD, Hartley CJ, Whitlow PL. Subselective measurement of coronary blood flow velocity using a steerable Doppler catheter. JACC 1986; 8: 1332–40.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Hartley CJ, Millar HD. Ultrasonic sensors for measuring coronary blood flow. In: AI West, ed., Microsensors and catheter based imaging technology. Proc. SPIE 1988; 904: 17–22.

  19. Juilliere Y, Zijistra F, de Feyter P, Suryapranata H, Serruys PW. Intracoronary blood flow velocity during angioplasty: A functional guide and indicator of the success of dilatation. Arch Mal Coeur 1987; 80: 1725–33.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Hartley CJ, Cole JS. A pulsed Doppler system for measuring blood flow in small vessels. J Appl Physiol 1974; 37: 626–9.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Reid JM, Sigelmann RA, Nasser MG, Baker DW. The scattering of ultrasound by human blood. Proc 8th ICMBE 1969:10–7.

  22. Carstensen EL, Li K., Schwan HP. Determination of the acoustic properties of blood and its components. J Acoustical Soc Am 1953; 25: 286–9.

    Google Scholar 

  23. McLeod FD. A directional Doppler flowmeter. Proc 7th Int Conf on Med and Biol Engr Stockholm 1967: 13–4.

  24. Gould LK, Lipscomb K, Hamilton GW. Physiologic basis for assessing critical coronary stenosis: Instantaneous flow response and regional distribution during coronary hyperemia as measures of coronary flow reserve. Am J Cardiol 1974; 33: 87–94.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Marcus ML, Wright CB, Doty DB, Eastham CL, Laughlin DE, Krumm P, Fastenow C, Brody MJ. Measurement of coronary velocity and reactive hyperemia in the coronary circulation of humans. Circ Res 1981; 49: 877–91.

    Google Scholar 

  26. White CW, Wright CB, Doty DB, Hiratza LF, Eastham CL, Harrison DG, Marcus ML. Does visual interpretation of the coronary arteriogram predict the physiological importance of a coronary stenosis? N Engl J Med 1984; 310: 819–24.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Wilson RF, Marcus ML, White CW. Prediction of the physiologic significance of coronary arterial lesions by quantitative lesion geometry in patients with limited coronary artery disease. Circulation 1987; 75: 723–32.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Wilson RF, White CW. Intracoronary papaverine: an ideal coronary vasodilator for studies of the coronary circulation in conscious humans. Circulation 1986; 73: 444–51.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Matsumura Y, Mishima M, Ohara T, Yamamoto K, Kodama K. Coronary flow reserve by Doppler catheter: Coincident with clinical severity. Circulation 1988; 78 Suppl II: II-256.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Marcus ML, Wilson RF, White CW. Methods of measurement of myocardial blood flow in patients: a critical review. Circulation 1987; 76: 245–53.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Wilson RF, Johnson MR, Marcus ML, Aylward PE, Skorton DJ, Collins S, White CW. The effect of coronary angioplasty on coronary flow reserve. Circulation 1988; 77: 873–85.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Raymond RE, Tuzcu M, Shirey EK, Grigera F, Whitlow PL. Coronary blood flow after angioplasty. Circulation 1988; 78 Suppl II: II-103.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Wainai Y, Handa S, Iwanaga S, Kyotani S, Kusuhara M, Abe S, Ohnishi S, Nakamura Y. Coronary flow reserve measured with Doppler catheter in successful angioplasty. Circulation 1988; 78 Suppl II: II-256.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Lesser JR, Wilson RF, White CW. Can a physiologic assessment of coronary stenosis avoid unnecessary PTC A? Circulation 1988; 78 Suppl II: II-378.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Wilson RF, White CW. Does coronary artery bypass surgery restore normal maximal coronary flow reserve? The effect of diffuse atherosclerosis and focal obstructive lesions. Circulation 1987; 76: 563–71.

    Google Scholar 

  36. Freed D, Hartley CJ, Christman KD, Lyman RC, Agris JH, Walker WF. High frequency pulsed Doppler ultrasound: A new tool for microvascular surgery. J Microsurg 1979; 1: 148–53.

    Google Scholar 

  37. Yeung AC, Vita JA, Ganz P, Selwin A, Reagan K, Bittl JA. Increased flow velocity in the human coronary stenosis: a simple assessment of stenosis severity. JACC 1989; 13: 131A.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Vita Ja, Cox DA, Treasure CB, Fish RD, McLenachan JM, Ganz P, Selwyn AP. Response of human coronary arteries to adenosine. Circulation 1988; 78 Suppl II: II-554.

    Google Scholar 

  39. Drexler H, Zeiher A, Wollschlager H, Bonzel T, Just H. Flow-dependent coronary dilation in man. Circulation 1988; 78 Suppl II: II-171.

    Google Scholar 

  40. Nabel EG, Ganz P, Selwyn AP. Atherosclerosis impairs flow-mediated dilation in human coronary arteries. Circulation 1988; 78 Suppl II: II-474.

    Google Scholar 

  41. Wilson RF, Christensen B, Zimmer S, Laxson D, White CW. Effects of adenosine on the coronary circulation in humans. JACC 1989; 13: 132A.

    Google Scholar 

  42. Winniford MD, Rossen JD, Simonetti I, Stark CA. Effect of changes in myocardial metabolism on coronary flow reserve in patients. Circulation 1988; 78 Suppl II: II-256.

    Google Scholar 

  43. Wilson RF, McGinn AL, Christensen BV, White CW. Long-term variability on coronary flow reserve: the importance of heart rate. Circulation 1988; 78 Suppl II: II-257.

    Google Scholar 

  44. Gould KL, Kirkeeide RL, Buchi ML. Relative coronary flow reserve reflects stenosis severity more accurately than absolute flow reserve during changing aortic pressure and cardiac workload. JACC 1989; 13: 162A.

    Google Scholar 

  45. Tadaoka S, Kagiyama M, Ogasawara Y, Tsujioka K, Kajiya F. Accuracy of a 20 MHz Ultrasound Doppler catheter to measure coronary blood flow velocity. Circulation 1988; 78 Suppl II: II-34.

    Google Scholar 

  46. Voyles W, Scott B, Teague S, Albert D, Thadani U. Coronary vascular reserve measured using Doppler catheters: Role of Doppler signal processing. Circulation 1988; 78 Suppl II: II-35.

    Google Scholar 

  47. Shannon CE. Communication in the presence of noise. Proc IRE 1949; 37: 10–21.

    Google Scholar 

  48. Hartley CJ. Resolution of frequency aliases in ultrasonic pulsed Doppler velocimeters. IEEE Trans on Sonics and Ultrasonics SU 1981; 28: 69–75.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Medicine, Sect. of Cardiovascular Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, 77030, Houston, TX, USA

    Craig J. Hartley

Authors
  1. Craig J. Hartley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hartley, C.J. Review of intracoronary Doppler catheters. Int J Cardiac Imag 4, 159–168 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01745146

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01745146

Keywords

Search

Navigation