title: Fetal transabdominal pulse oximeter studies using a hypoxic sheep model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigates the validity of transabdominal pulse oximetry using a sheep fetal hypoxia model with fetal arterial hemoglobin saturation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four pregnant ewes were anaesthetized and cannulated through the brachial artery to measure direct arterial blood saturation, SaO(2). Next, the transabdominal pulse oximeter was used to measure indirect measurement of the arterial saturation of the fetus, SpO(2), from the maternal abdomen. Hypoxia was induced by a balloon placed in the maternal aorta.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There is a linear relationship between SaO(2), arterial blood saturation values of the fetus, and SpO(2), the values measured by the transabdominal pulse oximetry with a slope of 0.75 (r(2)=0.76).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This information can be used to calibrate the transabdominal pulse oximeter as a measurement of fetal arterial saturation. With these results, we can advance the accurate, no-risk, noninvasive transabdominal fetal pulse oximeter for human use. This research may contribute to the more accurate diagnosis of the diseases of the fetus including Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy.
authors: Department of Biochem/Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, PA 19104, USA. nioka@mail.med.upenn.edu
authors: Shoko
authors: S
authors: Nioka
authors: Meltem
authors: M
authors: Izzetoglu
authors: Theresa
authors: T
authors: Mawn
authors: Michael J
authors: MJ
authors: Nijland
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Boas
authors: Britton
authors: B
authors: Chance
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry*; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005311:Fetal Hypoxia / Q000097:blood*; D007700:Kinetics; D010092:Oximetry / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012756:Sheep