Implications of the dielectrical behaviour of human blood for continuous online measurement of haematocrit

A study was designed to explore the possibility of detecting the haematocrit of blood by means of admittance measurements. The admittance and phase angle of blood kept in a measuring cell were determined at various frequencies between 60 kHz and 24 MHz. A reliable and accurate estimation of haematocrit was obtained in two ways. First, low-frequency admittance, high-frequency admittance and a factor x, which was the conductive percentage of cell content, were used. Secondly, the maximum phase angle was used. Both methods can be applied to obtain continuous on-line information about haematocrit for blood volume control during haemodialysis.

Continuous measurement of blood volume during hemodialysis by an optical method

A new method is described to noninvasively and continuously measure changes in blood volume (BV) during hemodialysis by means of an optical reflection method with an optical monitor (950 nm) clipped onto the arterial blood line. The amount of reflected light (L) appeared to be linearly proportional to the erythrocyte concentration (r = 0.91). Changes in L correlated well with changes in erythrocyte concentration during hemodialysis (r = 0.94). A study in 10 patients on regular dialysis was done. The BV decrease after 3 hr of treatment was 17.0 +/- 5.2%, and it correlated with the amount of fluid withdrawn by ultrafiltration (mean, 2,519 +/- 589 ml). Five hypotensive episodes were seen that were characterized by a higher rate of BV fall during the preceding 15 min (9.9 +/- 1.9 versus 3.6 +/- 4.3%/hrp; p < 0.05) and by a lower BV value at that moment (78.2 +/- 3.4 versus 84.5 +/- 4.5%; p < 0.025) than in the other five patients at comparable times. It was concluded that this optical method was a means to detect hypovolemia at an early stage and to prevent ultrafiltration induced hypotension.

Measurement of transcellular fluid shift during haemodialysis. Part 2. In vitro and clinical evaluation

A method to measure intra- and extracellular conductivity is evaluated. In vitro experiments show that these two variables can be measured separately. The conductivity appears to depend on the concentration and fluid volume of the compartment concerned. In vitro variation of the intracellular volume of blood by dilution and by shrinking and swelling of blood cells is detectable by this method. In vivo too the method seems to detect intra- and extracellular fluid volumes separately. The course of these two variables during different strategies of haemodialysis is determined.