title: Diode laser spectroscopy for noninvasive monitoring of oxygen in the lungs of newborn infants.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Newborn infants may have pulmonary disorders with abnormal gas distribution, e.g., respiratory distress syndrome. Pulmonary radiography is the clinical routine for diagnosis. Our aim was to investigate a novel noninvasive optical technique for rapid nonradiographic bedside detection of oxygen gas in the lungs of full-term newborn infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Laser spectroscopy was used to measure contents of oxygen gas (at 760 nm) and of water vapor (at 937 nm) in the lungs of 29 healthy newborn full-term infants (birth weight 2,900-3,900 g). The skin above the lungs was illuminated using two low-power diode lasers and diffusely emerging light was detected with a photodiode.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the total 390 lung measurements performed, clear detection of oxygen gas was recorded in 60%, defined by a signal-to-noise ratio of >3. In all the 29 infants, oxygen was detected. Probe and detector positions for optimal pulmonary gas detection were determined. There were no differences in signal quality with respect to gender, body side or body weight.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ability to measure pulmonary oxygen content in healthy full-term neonates with this technique suggests that with further development, the method might be implemented in clinical practice for lung monitoring in neonatal intensive care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Emilie Krite
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Svanberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Patrik
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lundin
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Pediatrics, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden.
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Åkeson
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Oncology and Pathology, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.|Center for Optical and Electromagnetic Research, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Katarina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Svanberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.|Center for Optical and Electromagnetic Research, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Sune
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Svanberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Andersson-Engels
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Pediatrics, Skåne University Hospital, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.|Children's Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Vineta
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fellman
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007834:Lasers; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism*; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism*; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen