AJP - Heart and Circulatory Physiology, Vol 242, Issue 5 921-H926, Copyright © 1982 by American Physiological Society
A planimetric technique for measuring deformation of the carotid sinus region
E. Koushanpour
This paper describes a planimetric technique for measuring the volume of
the carotid sinus region from still photographs taken during pressure and
volume forcings. The method consists of first digitizing the curves
defining the boundary of the carotid sinus and then calculating its volume
by assuming that the carotid sinus region is made up of a finite number of
circular "pancake" slices. Plots of the calculated volume (Vc) vs. applied
pressure forcings (P) were compared with plots of injected volume (Vi) vs.
recorded pressure to assess the sensitivity of the method used to calculate
volume changes from still photographs. The plots of Vc vs. P were
remarkably similar to the plots of Vi vs. recorded pressure, and a plot of
Vc vs. Vi was linear, suggesting that this method provides a good estimate
of volume changes. Application of this method can yield useful data on
mechanisms of the baroreceptor process.
