Evaluation of a transit-time system for the chronic measurement of blood flow in conscious sheep.

The accuracy of transit-time ultrasonic flow probes for measurement of regional blood flow and cardiac output was evaluated after long-term implantation in sheep. Transit-time flow probes (3, 4, 6, and 20 mm) accurately measured flow in vitro. Recalibration in vivo demonstrated that this accuracy was maintained after 1-9 mo of implantation on the left circumflex coronary (3-mm probe), cranial mesenteric (6-mm probe), left renal (4-mm probe), and left external iliac (6-mm probe) arteries of sheep. The flow probes also showed good zero stability. However, a transit-time flow probe (20 mm) chronically implanted on the pulmonary trunk significantly underestimated cardiac output compared with thermodilution or timed collection of blood. Although this flow probe underestimated flow, the response was linear. Bilateral carotid occlusion caused mesenteric, renal, and iliac vasoconstrictions, confirming that innervation of these vascular beds was undamaged. For experimental purposes, regional blood flow was measured with transit-time flow probes and cardiac output was measured with electromagnetic flow probes calibrated against thermodilution. In summary, transit-time flow probes reliably and accurately measure regional blood flow over many months in adult sheep, but, to measure cardiac output in sheep, the probes must be calibrated in vivo against another reference technique.