Assessment of the Repeatability and Sensitivity of the Thermoelectric Perfusion Probe

The Thermoelectric Perfusion Probe is a completely electronic system that cyclically heats and cools tissue to measure blood perfusion. The probe produces the thermal event with a thermoelectric cooler and then measures the resulting heat flux and temperatures: the arterial temperature and the sensor temperature (the temperature between the heat flux gage and the skin). The Thermoelectric Perfusion Probe was validated and calibrated on a phantom tissue test stand, a system that simulates perfusion with known, controlled flow. With the new pressed sensor technology, a thermocouple sealed to a heat flux gage, the sensor temperature and the heat flux are simultaneously recorded. The pressed sensor tests validated the program used to predict perfusion for the Thermoelectric Perfusion Probe. This perfusion estimation program can determine the tissues perfusion regardless of how the thermal event is created (i.e. convective cooling, convective heating, conductive heating). Based on experimentation, the Thermoelectric Perfusion Probe displays good repeatability and sensitivity for continuously measuring perfusion. The sensitivity and repeatability of the Thermoelectric Perfusion Probe was proven when the perfusion estimates were compared to the perfusion estimates predicted by the Convective Perfusion Probe, a previously validated perfusion probe, and the CFD Flow Model, a computational model of the phantom tissue test stand.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Mechanical Engineering

Department dc:contributor.department

Mechanical Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2006

Author dc:creator

• Ellis, Brent Earl

Chairs dc:contributor.committeechair

• Scott, Elaine P.
• Diller, Thomas E.

Committee member dc:contributor.committeemember

• Lanz, Otto I.

• blood perfusion
• thermal diffusion probe
• tissue phantom
• finite difference

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

etd-12202006-123743

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/36336