Preparation of perfluorodecalin emulsion, an approach to the red cells substitute

The major problems unsolved in fluorocarbon emulsions have been the long lasting retention of the substance in tissues of organs and acute shock symptom in animals receiving "coarse" emulsion with particles larger then 0.2 mum. This report offers a new, stable and sterile preparation of 25% "fine" perfluorodecalin emulsion with yolk phospholipid that is eliminated from liver, spleen and other organs within a few weeks, and whose acute and subacute toxicity is as low as perfluorotributylamine/Pluronic F68 emulsion. Effects of the perfluorodecalin emulsion thus prepared for maintaining contractile force of isolated guinea pig heart by perfusion and survival of animals receiving repeated circulatory exchange proved similar to perfluorotributylamine/Pluronic F68 emulsion.

Measurement of venous blood flow and pressure using thermoelectric and pressure transducers

In order to simplify procedures for testing the circulatory function of a patient, changes in the venous blood flow as well as venous pressure following exercise were continuously observed using the thermoelectric flowmeter. The level of zero flow necessary for evaluation of the velocity of flow was successfully indicated without occlusion of blood vessels by means of a form of compensation for thermal diffusion devised by the authors.