Importance

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Abstract

Apparatus for providing a measure of extravascular lung water of a subject using a single thermal indicator, including means for providing an injection of the thermal indicator into the bloodstream of the subject at a position proximal to or in the right heart, means for detecting a first time-temperature concentration curve of the bloodstream at a position in the pulmonary artery, means responsive to the first time-temperature concentration curve detected in the pulmonary artery for calculating a characteristic time for the first time-temperature concentration curve, means for detecting a second time-temperature concentration curve of the bloodstream at a position in a systemic artery, means responsive to the second time-temperature concentration curve detected in the sytemic artery for calculating a characteristic time for the second time-temperature concentration curve, means for calculating the flow of blood through the heart and lungs, and means for calculating a measure of extravascular lung water in accordance with the difference between the products of the blood flow times the first characteristic time and the blood flow times the second characteristic time.

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First Claim