Characteristics of the blood

bright red (oxygenated) dark red/purplish (unoxygenated) much more dense than pure water pH range from 7.35 to 7.45 (slightly alkaline) slightly warmer than body temperature 100.4 F typical volume in adult male 5-6 liters typical volume in adult female 4-5 liters typically 8% of body weight

Blood components
55% plasma: 7 to 8% dissolved substances (sugars, amino acids, lipids & vitamins), ions, dissolved gases, hormones
most of the proteins are plasma proteins: provide a role in balancing osmotic pressure and water flow between the blood and extracellular fluid/tissues loss of plasma proteins from blood decreases osmotic pressure in blood and results in water flow out of blood into tissues swelling most common plasma proteins: albumin, globulins, clotting proteins (fibrin)

Characteristics of the Blood Flow

The blood flow at any point in the circulatory system is the volume of blood that passes that point during a unit of time. It is normally measured in millimeters per minute or liters per minute. Blood flow is highest in the pulmonary artery and the aorta, where these vessels leaves the heart . The flow at these points is called cardiac output.

Characteristics of the Blood Flow

Cardiac output is between 3.5 and 5 liters/min in a normal adult at the rest . In the capillaries, the blood flow can be so slow that the travel of individual blood cells can be observed under a microscope. From the cardiac output a number of other characteristic variables can be calculated.

Characteristics of the Blood Flow

The cardiac output divided by the number of heartbeats per minute gives the amount of blood that is ejected during each heartbeat, or the stroke volume. Mean circulation time is calculated by the total amount of blood circulation divided by the cardiac output. Blood flow through a vessel, divided by the cross-sectional area of the vessel gives the mean velocity of the blood at the point.

Methods of Blood Flow Measurement

INDICATOR-DILUTION METHOD ELECTROMAGNETIC FLOWMETERS ULTRASONIC FLOWMETERS THERMAL-CONVECTION VELOCITY SENSORS CHAMBER PLETHYSMOGRAPHY ELECTRICAL-IMPEDANCE PLETHYSMOGRAPHY PHOTOPLETHYSMOGRAPHY

Ultrasonic flow measurement of blood flow

Ultrasonic flow measurement of blood flow

In ultrasonic flow metering we use the Doppler shift that results from the reflection of an ultrasonic beam off sonically reflective materials, such as solid particles or entrained air bubbles in a flowing fluid, or the turbulence of the fluid itself, if the liquid is clean. Doppler flowmeters are used for slurries, liquids with bubbles, gases with sound-reflecting particles.

 This type of flow meter are used to measure the rate of blood flow, by passing an ultrasonic beam through the tissues, bouncing it off a reflective plate, then reversing the direction of the beam and repeating the measurement, the volume of blood flow is estimated. The frequency of the transmitted beam is affected by the movement of blood in the vessel and by comparing the frequency of the upstream beam versus downstream the flow of blood through the vessel can be measured. The difference between the two frequencies is a measure of true volume flow. A wide-beam sensor can also be used to measure flow independent of the cross-sectional area of the blood vessel