Flexible Doppler ultrasound device for the monitoring of blood flow velocity.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 34705515.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/sciadv.abi9283 and PMC identifier 8550238.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Thrombosis and restenosis after vascular reconstruction procedures may cause complications such as stroke, but a clinical means to continuously monitor vascular conditions is lacking. Conventional ultrasound probes are rigid, particularly for postoperative patients with fragile skin. Techniques based on photoplethysmography or thermal analysis provide only relative changes in flow volume and have a shallow detection depth. Here, we introduce a flexible Doppler ultrasound device for the continuous monitoring of the absolute velocity of blood flow in deeply embedded arteries based on the Doppler effect. The device is thin (1 mm), lightweight (0.75 g), and skin conforming. When the dual-beam Doppler method is used, the influence of the Doppler angle on the velocity measurement is avoided. Experimental studies on ultrasound phantoms and human subjects demonstrate accurate measurement of the flow velocity. The wearable Doppler device has the potential to enhance the quality of care of patients after reconstruction surgery.