To monitor patients during and after surgery or in the intensive care unit, clinicians use catheters to keep a close eye on the circulatory system. TU/e researcher Esmée de Boer shows that ultrasound imaging of the carotid artery is a promising, less invasive alternative. She defended her PhD dissertation on January 13th at the Department of Electrical Engineering.
Source: Cursor/Nicole Testerink
While other PhD candidates put on their lab coats and spend afternoons running experiments among research setups, chemical substances, or petri dishes filled with cells, Esmée de Boer’s work looked slightly different. She followed a strict sterilization protocol, dressed in blue operating room attire and a purple hairnet, before being allowed into the operating room at Catharina Hospital. During many surgeries, the technical medicine specialist – she graduated from the University of Twente – stood next to the anesthesiologist to take measurements from patients. She shrugs with a smile. “It sounds more exciting than it actually is.”
Well-functioning circulatory system
A well-functioning circulatory system is essential for good health, De Boer explains. “Vital organs need a constant supply of oxygen, which the heart pumps through the bloodstream. That’s why doctors in hospitals closely monitor the status of a patient’s circulation. This can be during or after surgery, but also, for example, in the intensive care unit.”
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