An intravascular protein osmometer.

Our purpose was to develop an intravascular osmometer for measuring the colloid (i.e., protein) osmotic pressure (COP) of circulating blood. A semipermeable hollow fiber from a Cordis Dow artificial kidney (C-DAK 4000) was attached to polyethylene tubing on one end, filled with saline, and sealed at the other end. This was small enough to be inserted into the vasculature of research animals. Protein osmotic pressure plus hydrostatic pressure was measured by a Statham pressure transducer attached to the hollow fiber. Simultaneously, a second catheter and transducer was used to measure hydrostatic pressure, which was subtracted from the pressure measured from the fiber with an on-line computer. The system was documented by a variety of tests. The colloid osmotic pressure vs. albumin concentration curve determined with the fiber is identical to the curve determined by standard membrane osmometry. The time constant for 2- and 8-cm fibers was 2.6 +/- 0.6 and 1.5 +/- 0.5 (+/- SD) min, respectively. The reflection coefficient (+/- SD) of the fiber for NaCl is 0.042 +/- 0.019 (n = 38); COP measured at varying temperatures (absolute scale) changed linearly as expected from COP = nCRT (i.e., van't Hoff's law). Finally, hollow-fiber osmometers were inserted into femoral veins of dogs and sheep, and blood COP was continuously recorded during osmotic manipulations. In conclusion, we attempted to develop and document a simple method for continuous measurement of intravascular colloid osmotic pressure.