Biomedical Applications

Over the last decade, Avantes has helped many application engineers to develop both non-invasive and invasive spectroscopic methods for blood parameter measurements.

Important medical indicators are oxygen, hemoglobin, cytochrome and water concentration measurements in tissue and in the veins.

Non-invasive measurements are based on an AvaSpec-2048 single channel fibre optic spectrometer, an AvaLight-HAL tungsten halogen light source and a reflection probe.

Invasive measurements can be done with a special reflection probe, built into a heart catheter, as can be seen in the picture below.

Implementation of the system has been successful in medical applications in which continuous measurement of oxygen saturation, concentration of total, oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin needs to be done.

The AvaSpec has been implemented successfully in the following fields...

• Angiology/Pharmacology - Monitoring of the oxygen saturation after the application of vaso-active substances. Oxygen changes caused by Reynaud syndrome and microcirculation diseases in tissue.
• Dermatology - Detection of local regional perfusion diseases, recurrence of melanomas.
• Diabetology - Micro-angiopathy, early detection of Endotheld dysfunction and ulseration.
• Cardio surgery - Oxygen consumption of the heart muscle during/after bypass operations.
• Neurosurgery/Oncology - Quantifying of oxygen consumption of (brain) tumours before/after radiation or operations.
• Pediatry/Gynecology - monitoring of oxygen concentration of critically ill newborn during birth.
• Plastic surgery/Transplantation medicine - Monitoring of transplanted and re-implanted tissues, bones or organs.
• Accident surgery - Determination of surface of burned or frozen skin.

A typical setup used in biomedical applications is shown in the illustration above.

Special reflection probe built into heart catheter

Typical components used in biomedical applications