抄録
We have developed a miniaturized blood flow meter using a straight outlet cannula of an artificial heart. In this study, we investigated the relationship between wall thickness of measurement area and a measurement performance of a flow rate. We prepared two tested models having wall thicknesses of 0.05, 0.15 mm respectively. Four strain gauges were attached on these measurement areas. In a measurement test of a flow rate, a measurement performance of a flow rate was evaluated. As a result, the both tested models measured flow rate and static pressure. The tested model having a wall thickness of 0.05 mm had a higher sensitivity for measuring a flow rate than the tested model having a wall thickness of 0.15 mm. Therefore, a flow rate could be measured by subtracting outputs of two tested models. The measurement error of a flow rate was less than 0.05 L/min. We confirmed that the developed miniaturized blood flow meter using a straight outlet cannula could measure a flow rate by using two measurement areas having different wall thicknesses of 0.05 and 0.15 mm.
