Systems and methods for automated fluid response measurement

Abstract

A device is provided for automatically assessing functional hemodynamic properties of a patient is provided, the device comprising: a housing; an ultrasound unit coupled to the housing and adapted for adducing ultrasonic waves into the patient at a vessel; a detector adapted to sense signals obtained as a result of adducing ultrasonic waves into the patient at the vessel and to record the; and a processor adapted for receiving the recorded signals as data and transforming the data for output at an interface. Other devices, systems, methods, and/or computer-readable media may be provided in relation to assessing functional hemodynamics of a patient.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device for detecting vascular flow, comprising:
 a case configured to be grasped by a user's hand and placed on a patient over a vessel in which flow is to be detected, wherein the case has a width and a length dimension;   circuitry in the case including transmit and receive circuitry for transmitting ultrasound signals processing corresponding received ultrasound echo signals;   a battery in the case for powering the circuitry;   a number of pairs of transmit and receive transducer elements, wherein adjacent pairs of transmit and receive elements are aligned in the direction of the length of the case and are electrically connected in parallel, the pairs of transmit and receive ultrasound element being oriented to transmit and receive ultrasound signals at an angle that is acute to a plane of a bottom surface of the device;   wherein the transmit and receive circuitry is configured to cause the transmit and receive element pairs to simultaneously transmit and receive ultrasound signals to produce echo signals representative of flow in the vessel.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein each transmit and receive transducer element is a generally rectangular piece of piezoelectric material having a height, a thickness and a width, wherein the width is at least 8 times the height of the transducer element and wherein the pairs of transducer elements are aligned such that their width dimensions extend along the length of the case. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the transmit and receive transducer elements are oriented at approximately 45 degrees with respect to the plane of the bottom surface of the device. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the printed circuit board includes circuitry to measure a Doppler shift in the received ultrasound echo signals and circuitry for producing an indicating of the measured Doppler shift to an operator. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the printed circuit board includes a processor that is configured to execute programmed instructions to:
 determine a Doppler shift in the received echo signals prior to an procedure being performed on the patient;   determine a Doppler shift in the received echo signals after the procedure is performed on the patient; and   produce an indication of a difference in the Doppler signals before and after the procedure is performed.   
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5 , wherein the printed circuit board includes communication circuitry to connect the device to an external device; and wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions to transmit the difference in the Doppler signals before and after the procedure is performed to the external device. 
     
     
         7 . A device for detecting vascular flow, comprising:
 a case configured to be grasped by a user's hand and placed on a patient over a vessel in which flow is to be detected, wherein the case has a width and a length dimension;   transmit and receive circuitry configured to transmit ultrasound signals and to process received ultrasound echo signals; and   a battery in the case for powering the transmit and receive circuitry;
 a number of pairs of transmit and receive transducer elements, each pair being secured in a mounting block that orients the transmit and receive transducer elements at an acute angle with respect to a plane of a bottom surface of the device. 
   
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein adjacent mounting blocks are secured to a flexible printed circuit so that the pairs of transmit and receive transducer elements are flexible along the length of the case. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein each transmit and receive transducer element is a generally rectangular piece of piezoelectric material having a height, a thickness and a length, wherein the length is at least eight times the height of the transducer element and wherein the pairs of transducer elements are aligned such that their width length dimensions extend along the length of the case. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the transmit and receive transducer elements are oriented at approximately 45 degrees with respect to a plane of the bottom surface of the device. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the printed circuit board includes circuitry to measure a Doppler shift in the received ultrasound echo signals and circuitry for producing an indication of the measured Doppler shift to an operator. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein device includes a processor that is configured to execute programmed instructions to:
 determine a Doppler shift in the received echo signals prior to an procedure being performed on the patient;   determine a Doppler shift in the received echo signals after the procedure is performed on the patient; and   produce an indication of a difference in the Doppler shift before and after the procedure is performed.   
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the device includes communication circuitry to connect the device to an external device; and wherein the processor is configured to execute instructions to transmit the difference in the Doppler shift before and after the procedure is performed to the external device with the communication circuitry. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the communication circuitry includes a wired connection. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the communication circuitry is for wireless communication. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 7 , wherein the mounting block includes a pair of grooves in which the transducer elements are secured and wherein the grooves are angled at different acute angles with respect to the plane of the bottom surface of the device. 
     
     
         17 . A device for detecting flow in a vessel, comprising:
 a case;   transmit and receive circuitry in the case that is configured to transmit ultrasound signals and to process received ultrasound echo signals; and
 a number of pairs of transmit and receive transducer elements, each transducer element comprising a sheet of piezoelectric material having a height dimension, a length dimension and a thickness, wherein the length dimension is at least 8 times the height dimension and wherein the device includes two or more pairs of transmit and receive elements that are aligned lengthwise in the case to transmit and receive ultrasound signals from an area that is larger than a cross-sectional area of the vessel. 
   
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein each of the transmit and receive transducer elements comprises a conductive epoxy backing layer. 
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 17 , wherein each of the transmit and receive transducer elements comprises a conductive epoxy matching layer.