Implications of complex anatomical junctions on conductance catheter measurements of coronary arteries

In vivo, the position of the conductance catheter to measure vessel lumen cross-sectional area may vary depending on where the conductance catheter is deployed in the complex anatomical geometry of arteries, including branches, bifurcations, or curvatures. The objective here is to determine how such geometric variations affect the cross-sectional area (CSA) estimates obtained using the cylindrical model. Computer simulations and in vitro and in vivo experiments were used to assess how the electric field and associated CSA measurement accuracy are affected by three typical in vivo conditions: 1) a vessel with abrupt change in lumen diameter (e.g., transition from aorta to coronary ostia); 2) a vessel with a T-bifurcation or a Y-bifurcation; and 3) a vessel curvature, such as in the right coronary artery, aorta, or pulmonary artery. The error in diameter from simulation results was shown to be relatively small (<7%), unless the detection electrodes were placed near the junction between two different lumen d...