Use of a Doppler Guide Wire for Intravascular Blood Flow Measurements: a Validation Study for Potential Neurologic Endovascular Applications

Purpose: To conduct a validation study of a Doppler guide wire for potential neuroendovascular applications.

Methods: A 12-MHz, 0.018-inch Doppler guide wire was evaluated in eight swine under various blood flow conditions using two types of in vivo cerebrovascular models (physiologic and arteriovenous shunting). Flow conditions were mechanically and pharmacologically altered. Doppler average peak velocity was compared with volumetric blood flow, and flow profile corrections were calculated and analyzed. Qualitative aspects of the Doppler guide wire spectra were also assessed.

Results: Plots of average peak velocity versus volumetric blood flow showed excellent linear relationships (r2 > 0.94), which were maintained at high flow conditions (average peak velocity, 99 to 236 cm/sec; volumetric blood flow, 392 to 889 mL/min). Values of flow profile correction varied from 0.43 to 0.94 and showed no consistent relationship to changes in volumetric blood flow.

Conclusions: The excellent correlation between average peak velocity and volumetric blood flow over a wide range of blood flow conditions and the additional qualitative information of the Doppler guide wire spectra establish a foundation for clinical implementation. The unpredictable variations of flow profile corrections remain obstacles for calculating volumetric blood flow based on Doppler guide wire average peak velocity.