Physiologic Signal Acquisition and Processing for Human Hemodynamic Research in a Clinical Cardiac-Catheterization Laboratory

This paper describes state-of-art-technology in transducer design, signal acquisition, and digital processing of physiologic signals obtained from human patients during clinical cardiac catheterization. Custom -designed multisensor catheters provide multiple simultaneous high-fidelity pressure and flow-velocity signals from the right and left heart in man at rest and during a variety of physiologic and pharmacologic stresses. After processing by an analog system designed with special features for clinical cardiologists and cardiac-catheterization technicians, a dedicated minicomputer enters these signals into a variety of programs designed for human hemodynamic research. The overall capabilities of this system are unique in clinical cardiology and represent a valuable application of the principles of signal acquisition and processing to biologic systems.