Continuous intra-arterial pH measurement.

A flexible glass electrode catheter with a diameter of 3 mm has been developed for pH measurement in the arterial system of dogs. In combination with a galvanically isolated amplifier, an undisturbed pH signal could be obtained from the aorta. The system was fast enough to truly record pH changes synchronous with respiration and was shown to be insensitive to variations in blood flow velocity. Good agreement was found between pH catheter readings nd pH values of simultaneously taken arterial samples as measured with a conventional capillary glass electrode.