A Measurement System to Estimate the Pleural Pressure from the CVP for Respiratory System Monitoring

We present a technique to estimate the pleural pressure combining the information provided by the central venous pressure (CVP) and electrocardiographic signals (ECG) for respiratory system monitoring. We discuss the characterization of the proposed measurement method with theoretical modeling, numerical analysis, and experiments based on signals acquired from intensive care unit patients. The results confirm the validity of the proposal suitable to define a novel method for the continuous monitoring of the respiratory mechanics. Since mechanically ventilated patients are supposed to have a central venous catheter in position, the CVP filtering technique can results in an useful clinical approach to estimate the pleural pressure, avoiding additional invasive devices (i.e., balloon-tipped esophageal catheters).