According to an aspect, there is provided a method of estimating the reliability of cardiac output, CO, measurements for a subject obtained using an arterial waveform analysis, AWA, technique. The AWA technique is calibrated using CO measurements obtained using a thermodilution CO measurement technique. The method comprises (a) during a first time period in which a first CO measurement is obtained for the subject using the thermodilution CO measurement technique: (i) initiating (203) inflation of a cuff that is at a first location on the subject; (ii) obtaining (205) a first cuff pressure signal comprising measurements of pressure inside the cuff during inflation; (iii) analysing (207) the first cuff pressure signal to derive a relationship between oscillations in arterial volume beneath the cuff and pressure in the arteries; and (iv) estimating (209) a first arterial compliance of the arteries for a range of cuff pressures based on the determined relationship; (b) during a second time period that is after the first time period, repeating (211) steps (i)-(iv) to estimate a second arterial compliance of the arteries; and (c) using (213) a result of a comparison of the first arterial compliance and the second arterial compliance to determine a reliability of CO measurements obtained using the AWA technique during the second time period.

A blood flow meter capable of measuring the flow rate of the blood flow with high accuracy in a blood vessel of a living body is provided. An element holding body having a tubular shape and having an outer diameter smaller than or equal to the outer diameter of a hollow shaft, which has flexibility and is insertable into a blood vessel, is provided on the distal side of the shaft so as to be coaxial with the shaft. A flow rate sensor is accommodated in the element holding body. The flow rate sensor has a measurement element in which a nickel wire is spirally wound to be formed into a coil shape so that adjacent nickel wires are not in contact with each other and are insulated. A thermal conductive insulating member is provided between the flow rate sensor and the element holding body in the element holding body and the flow rate sensor is fixed in the element holding body by the insulating member.

A blood flow meter capable of measuring the flow rate of the blood flow with high accuracy in a blood vessel of a living body is provided. An element holding body having a tubular shape and having an outer diameter smaller than or equal to the outer diameter of a hollow shaft, which has flexibility and is insertable into a blood vessel, is provided on the distal side of the shaft so as to be coaxial with the shaft. A flow rate sensor is accommodated in the element holding body. The flow rate sensor has a measurement element in which a nickel wire is spirally wound to be formed into a coil shape so that adjacent nickel wires are not in contact with each other and are insulated. A thermal conductive insulating member is provided between the flow rate sensor and the element holding body in the element holding body and the flow rate sensor is fixed in the element holding body by the insulating member.

The present invention discloses a flexible sensor detection system for medical care and health, including: an information collection module, which uses a wearable device as a carrier, where flexible sensors are respectively arranged on the wearable device; an information transmission module, configured to wirelessly transmit collected information to an information processing and feedback module; and the information processing and feedback module, configured to perform grading treatment on received data information and feed back a health condition corresponding to the data information to the information transmission module, where the information transmission module compares feedback health condition data with a preset health threshold to determine whether to give an alarm. A heart rate ECG band, a breathing band, a shell temperature band, a blood flow rate band, a blood glucose band, a blood oxygen band, and a deep temperature band of the present invention are provided with the built-in flexible sensors.

A system and method for inductive heating applications includes positioning one or more inductive heating elements in a location, delivering electromagnetic radiation, by a radiation source, to heat at least a portion of the one or more inductive heating elements, and detecting, by a detector, the heat generated by the one or more inductive heating elements. The system and method also include controlling, by a processing unit, a condition based on the detected heat.

A system and method for inductive heating applications includes positioning one or more inductive heating elements in a location, delivering electromagnetic radiation, by a radiation source, to heat at least a portion of the one or more inductive heating elements, and detecting, by a detector, the heat generated by the one or more inductive heating elements. The system and method also include controlling, by a processing unit, a condition based on the detected heat.

Provided are tissue-mounted devices and methods for monitoring a thermal transport property (e.g., thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, heat capacity) of tissue, such as skin. The devices conformally mount to the tissue and have one or more thermal actuators and a plurality of sensors. The actuator applies heat to the tissue and the sensors to detect a spatio temporal distribution of a physiological tissue parameter or physical property resulting from the heating. This spatio temporal information may be correlated with a rate, velocity and/or direction of blood flow, the presence of a vascular occlusion, circulation changes due to inflammation, hydration level and other physiological parameters.

Provided are tissue-mounted devices and methods for monitoring a thermal transport property (e.g., thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, heat capacity) of tissue, such as skin. The devices conformally mount to the tissue and have one or more thermal actuators and a plurality of sensors. The actuator applies heat to the tissue and the sensors to detect a spatio temporal distribution of a physiological tissue parameter or physical property resulting from the heating. This spatio temporal information may be correlated with a rate, velocity and/or direction of blood flow, the presence of a vascular occlusion, circulation changes due to inflammation, hydration level and other physiological parameters.

The invention relates to a system for determining blood flow within a blood vessel (18). A fluid infusion unit (4, 10, 11) continuously infuses a fluid into the blood vessel, and a temperature values determining unit (14, 21) determines simultaneously a first temperature value at a first location and a second temperature value at a second location such that the first temperature value is indicative of the temperature of the fluid and the second temperature value is indicative of the temperature of a mixture of the fluid and the blood. The blood flow is determined based on the measured first and second temperature values and the infusion rate. This kind of determining the blood flow leads to an increased accuracy and is less cumbersome than known techniques requiring a movement of a temperature sensor for measuring temperatures at different locations.

The invention relates to a system for determining blood flow within a blood vessel (18). A fluid infusion unit (4, 10, 11) continuously infuses a fluid into the blood vessel, and a temperature values determining unit (14, 21) determines simultaneously a first temperature value at a first location and a second temperature value at a second location such that the first temperature value is indicative of the temperature of the fluid and the second temperature value is indicative of the temperature of a mixture of the fluid and the blood. The blood flow is determined based on the measured first and second temperature values and the infusion rate. This kind of determining the blood flow leads to an increased accuracy and is less cumbersome than known techniques requiring a movement of a temperature sensor for measuring temperatures at different locations.