Assessment of the Microcirculation Using Combined Model Based Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy and Laser Doppler Flowmetry

By using a combined inverse model for diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) the tissue fraction of red blood cells (RBCs), their oxygenation and speed-resolved perfusion are estimated in absolute units. DRS spectra (450 to 850 nm) are measured at two source-detector distances; 0.4 and 1.2 mm. LDF spectra are measured at 1.2 mm, integrated in the same fiber-optic probe. Inverse Monte Carlo technique and an adaptive tissue model is used to quantify the microcirculatory parameters. Measurements were done during venous occlusion of the tissue. The model fitting yields a good spectral fit for the two DRS spectra and the LDF spectrum. The physiological responses regarding for example which speed regions respond to provocations follows a priori expectations. The combined model gives quantitative measures of RBC tissue fraction, oxygenation and speed resolved perfusion from the same sampling volume which gives new opportunities to interpret data.