What is claimed is:
1. A method of determining the cardiac contractility of a cardiovascular system, said method comprising:
determining a value for the stroke volume of the cardiovascular system;
determining a value for the preload of the cardiovascular system;
determining a value for the afterload of the cardiovascular system;
utilizing the value of said stroke volume, the value of said preload, and the value of said afterload to determine said cardiac contractility; and
wherein said preload comprises a parameter selected from the group consisting of end-diastolic volume, end-diastolic volume index, end-diastolic pressure, pulmonary capillary pressure, end-diastolic stress, and left ventricle end-diastolic dimension.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said preload comprises said left ventricle end-diastolic dimension.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein said preload is determined using an echocardiogram.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein said stroke volume comprises said left ventricle end-diastolic dimension minus left ventricle end-systolic dimension.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein determining said cardiac contractility utilizes a relationship in which said cardiac contractility is represented by a first edge of a tetrahedron, said preload is represented by a second edge of said tetrahedron, said afterload is represented by a third edge of said tetrahedron, and said stroke volume is represented by the volume of said tetrahedron.
6. A method of determining the cardiac contractility of a cardiovascular system, said method comprising:
determining a value for the stroke volume of the cardiovascular system;
determining a value for the preload of the cardiovascular system;
determining a value for the afterload of the cardiovascular system;
utilizing the value of said stroke volume, the value of said preload, and the value of said afterload to determine said cardiac contractility; and
wherein said afterload comprises a parameter selected from the group consisting of arterial pressure, left ventricle systolic pressure, arterial impedance, vascular resistance, systolic pressure, left ventricle meridional stress, left ventricle circumferential stress, and systolic stress.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein said afterload comprises said left ventricle systolic pressure.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein said left ventricle systolic pressure is determined by adding the systolic gradient of said cardiovascular system to said arterial pressure.
9. The method of claim 6 wherein said afterload comprises a member of the group consisting of systolic pressure, left ventricle meridional stress, left ventricle circumferential stress, and systolic stress
10. The method of claim 9 wherein said systolic pressure, said systolic stress, said left ventricle meridional stress, and said left ventricle circumferential stress may be utilized interchangeably for said afterload.
11. The method of claim 6 wherein determining said cardiac contractility utilizes a relationship in which said cardiac contractility is represented by a first edge of a tetrahedron, said preload is represented by a second edge of said tetrahedron, said afterload is represented by a third edge of said tetrahedron, and said stroke volume is represented by the volume of said tetrahedron.
12. A display apparatus for displaying the cardiac contractility of a cardiovascular system, the display apparatus comprising:
a schematic representation of a tetrahedron; and
indicia denoting that said cardiac contractility, the preload of said cardiovascular system, the afterload of said cardiovascular system, and the stroke volume of said cardiovascular system are represented by mutually distinct parameters of said tetrahedron.
13. The display apparatus of claim 12 comprising:
indicia denoting that a first edge of said tetrahedron represents said cardiac contractility;
indicia denoting that a second edge of said tetrahedron represents said preload;
indicia denoting that a third edge of said tetrahedron represents said afterload; and
indicia denoting that the volume of said tetrahedron represents said stroke volume.
14. The display apparatus of claim 12 comprising:
indicia denoting that the height of said tetrahedron represents said cardiac contractility;
indicia denoting that the base of the base triangle of said tetrahedron represents said preload;
indicia denoting that the height of the base triangle of said tetrahedron represents said afterload; and
indicia denoting that the volume of said tetrahedron represents said stroke volume.
15. The display apparatus of claim 12 further comprising other indicia that denote the values of one or more of the preload, afterload, stroke volume, and cardiac contractility.
16. The display apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a computer display selected from the group consisting of cathode ray tubes and flat panel displays, said tetrahedron and said indicia displayed on said computer display.
17. An instructional tool for teaching principles of cardiovascular function to non-medical personnel, said instructional tool including one or more display apparatuses, the display apparatuses including:
a schematic representation of a tetrahedron; and
indicia denoting that said cardiac contractility, said preload, said afterload, and said stroke volume are represented by mutually distinct parameters of said tetrahedron.
18. A measurement system for determining the cardiac contractility of a cardiovascular system, comprising a processor which:
receives an input value representing the stroke volume of the cardiovascular system;
receives an input value representing the preload of the cardiovascular system;
receives an input value representing the afterload of the cardiovascular system; and
determines said cardiac contractility utilizing said input value representing said stroke volume, said input value representing said preload, and said input value representing said afterload;
wherein said preload comprises a parameter selected from the group consisting of end-diastolic volume, end-diastolic volume index, end-diastolic pressure, pulmonary capillary pressure, end-diastolic stress, and left ventricle end-diastolic dimension.
19. The measurement system of claim 18 wherein said calculates said cardiac contractility utilizes a mathematical relationship in which said cardiac contractility is represented by a first edge of a tetrahedron, said preload is represented by a second edge of said tetrahedron, said afterload is represented by a third edge of said tetrahedron, and said stroke volume is represented by the volume of said tetrahedron.
20. A measurement system for determining the cardiac contractility of a cardiovascular system, comprising a processor which:
receives an input value representing the stroke volume of the cardiovascular system;
receives an input value representing the preload of the cardiovascular system;
receives an input value representing the afterload of the cardiovascular system; and
determines said cardiac contractility utilizing said input value representing said stroke volume, said input value representing said preload, and said input value representing said afterload;
wherein said afterload comprises a parameter selected from the group consisting of arterial pressure, left ventricle systolic pressure, arterial impedance, vascular resistance, systolic pressure, left ventricle meridional stress, left ventricle circumferential stress, and systolic stress.
21. The measurement system of claim 19 wherein said calculates said cardiac contractility utilizes a mathematical relationship in which said cardiac contractility is represented by a first edge of a tetrahedron, said preload is represented by a second edge of said tetrahedron, said afterload is represented by a third edge of said tetrahedron, and said stroke volume is represented by the volume of said tetrahedron.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for managing the life of a storage medium in a storage device, which accesses a loaded storage medium for readingwriting data fromto said storage medium, comprising the steps of:
reading medium life management information from said loaded storage medium;
detecting an operating state of at least one of the reading and the writing of data on said storage medium, and updating said medium life management information in accordance with the results of such detection; and
writing said updated medium life management information to said storage medium upon unloading the storage medium.
2. The method for managing the life of a storage medium according to claim 1, further comprising the step of reporting said medium life management information to a management system for managing the life of said storage medium.
3. The method for managing the life of a storage medium according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of analyzing said medium life management information, and of determining the life of said storage medium.
4. The method for managing the life of a storage medium according to claim 1, further comprising the step of setting determination parameters for said determination step.
5. The method for managing the life of a storage medium according to claim 3, further comprising the step of reporting said determination results to a managing system for managing the life of said storage medium.
6. The method for managing the life of a storage medium according to claim 1, wherein said updating step comprises steps of detecting a plurality of states of at least one of the reading and the writing of data in said storage medium, and of updating said medium life management information according to each of said plurality of states.
7. The method for managing the life of a storage medium according to claim 6, further comprising the steps of analyzing each of said plurality of states of medium life management information, and of determining the life of said storage medium based on the results of each analysis.
8. The method for managing the life of a storage medium according to claim 5, wherein said determination step comprises a step of determining the life of said storage medium based on said respective analysis results, and detecting the reason for said determination.
9. The method for managing the life of a storage medium according to claim 1, wherein said updating step comprises a step of detecting at least one of an operating quantity, a data error state and a servo error state of at least one of the reading and the writing when data is read or written fromto said storage medium, and updating said medium life management information according to results of such detection.
10. A storage device for accessing a loaded storage medium, and readingwriting data fromto said storage medium, comprising:
readwrite means for readingwriting data fromto said storage medium; and
control means for controlling said readwrite means,
wherein said control means, develops medium life management information, which has been read from said l oaded storage medium, to a memory, and thereafter, detects an operating state of at least one of the reading and the writing of data in said storage medium by said readwrite means, updates said medium life management information according to results of such detection, and writes said updated medium life management information to said storage medium upon unloading the storage medium.
11. The storage device according to claim 10, wherein said control means reports said medium life management information to a managing system for managing the life of said storage medium.
12. The storage device according to claim 10, wherein said control means analyzes said medium life management information, and determines the life of said storage medium.
13. The storage device according to claim 10, further comprising means for setting the determination parameters of said life.
14. The storage device according to claim 12, wherein said control means reports said determination results to a managing system for managing the life of said storage medium.
15. The storage device according to claim 10, wherein said control means detects a plurality of states of at least one of the reading and the writing of data in said storage medium, and updates said medium life management information according to each of said plurality of states.
16. The storage device according to claim 15, wherein said control means analyzes each of the plurality of states of said medium life management information, and determines the life of said storage medium based on the respective analysis results.
17. The storage device according to claim 16, wherein said control means determines the life of said storage medium based on said respective analysis results, and detects the reason for said determination.
18. The storage device according to claim 10, wherein said control means detects at least one of an operating quantity, a data error state and a servo error state of at least one of the reading and the writing when data is read or written fromto said storage medium, and updates said medium life management information according to results of such detection.
19. The storage device according to claim 10, wherein said readwrite means comprises means for readingwriting data fromto a magnetic tape cartridge.
20. A storage system comprising:
a storage device for accessing a loaded storage medium, and readingwriting data fromto said storage medium; and
a managing device for managing said storage device;
wherein said storage device reads medium life management information from said loaded storage medium, and thereafter, detects an operating state of at least one of the reading and the writing of data in said storage medium, updates said medium life management information according to results of such detection, and writes said updated medium life management information to said storage medium upon unloading the storage medium, and, in addition, reports information related to said medium life management information to said managing device in response to a request from said managing device.
21. The storage system according to claim 20, wherein said storage device analyzes said medium life management information, determines the life of said storage medium, and reports said determination results to said managing device.
22. The storage system according to claim 20, wherein said managing device analyzes said medium life management information reported by said storage device, and determines the life of said storage medium.
23. The storage system according to claim 20, wherein said storage device comprises a library device, said library device comprising:
a storage drive for accessing a loaded storage medium, and for readingwriting data fromto said storage medium; and
an accessor for loading a desired storage medium into said storage drive, and removing said storage medium from said storage drive.
24. A storage medium stored a program for managing the life of a storage medium in a storage device, which accesses a loaded storage medium for readswrites data fromto said storage medium, wherein said program has:
a program for reading medium life management information from said loaded storage medium;
a program for updating said medium life management information according to an operating state of at least one of the reading and the writing of said storage medium data; and
a program for writing said updated medium life management information to said storage medium upon unloading the storage medium.