Since the mid-1970’s the PV loop has steadily become the gold standard as a means to study myocardial contractility, compliance, muscle energetics and other important quantitative measures of function. Approaches such as ultrasonic crystals, magnetic resonance imagine (MRI) and echocardiography have been used to measure instantaneous volume with varying degrees of success. However, these technologies all have severe limitations, particularly during the generation of load independent indices of contractility. Conductance catheter technology has emerged as he most reliable method to generate instantaneous ventricular PV loops in the intact heart.

Scisense manufactures classical conductance systems as well as innovative hardware solutions such as our variable segment length control box for rats and rabbits, our GX5 large animal system with adjustable gain/offset controls ("tunable segments") and most recently our ADVantageTM admittance derived PV loop system.

Complete systems are available which include control boxes, catheters, calibration accessories, A/D systems and acquisition/analysis software.

Pressure-volume products include:

• catheters (for Rodent, VSL, and Large animal )
• control boxes (for Rodent, VSL, and Large animal )
• packages (for Rodent, VSL, and Large animal )