title: A multiwavelength frequency-domain near-infrared cerebral oximeter.
abstract: This study tests a multiwavelength frequency-domain near-infrared oximeter (fdNIRS) in an in vitro model of the human brain. The model is a solid plastic structure containing a vascular network perfused with blood in which haemoglobin oxygen saturation (SO2) was measured by co-oximetry, providing a standard for comparison. Plastic shells of varying thickness (0.5-2 cm), with a vascular network of their own and encircling the brain model, were also added to simulate extracranial tissues of the infant, child and adult. The fdNIRS oximeter utilizes frequency-domain technology to monitor phaseshifts at 754 nm, 785 nm and 816 nm relative to a 780 nm reference to derive SO2 through photon transport and Beer-Lambert equations. We found a linear relationship between fdNIRS SO2 and co-oximetry SO2 with excellent correlation (r2 > or = 0.95) that fitted the line of identity in all experiments (n = 7). The bias of fdNIRS oximetry was -2% and the precision was 6%. Blood temperature and fdNIRS source-detector distance did not affect fdNIRS oximetry. Low haemoglobin concentration (6 g dl(-1)) altered the fdNIRS versus co-oximetry line slope and intercept, producing a 15% error at the extremes of SO2. The infant- and child-like shells overlying the brain model did not alter fdNIRS oximetry, whereas the adult-like shell yielded an error as high as 32%. In conclusion, fdNIRS accurately measures SO2 in an in vitro brain model, although low haemoglobin concentration and extracranial tissue of adult thickness influence accuracy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 19104, USA. kurth@email.chop.edu
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Kurth
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Thayer
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D006454:Hemoglobins; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010092:Oximetry / Q000379:methods*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000032:analysis; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D010100:Oxygen