Transputers in high resolution bloodflow measurement

Arterial disease is a major cause of death in the UK and early diagnosis is of great importance as is the monitoring of its progress. Many methods have been developed for the objective assessment of arterial disease, but the most widely used is the application of Doppler ultrasound, as it is non-invasive and atraumatic. Using this method, flow or velocity signals can be obtained from the arteries and can be correlated with the site and extent of the disease. The authors overview a multigate pulsed ultrasonic Doppler imaging system, designed to measure bloodflow velocities across a vessel. The system comprises a scanner and a digital signal processing unit