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Blood Flow

Blood Flow

Blood is pumped by the heart into the aorta, the largest artery in the body, and then into increasingly smaller arteries, arterioles, and capillaries. The velocity of blood flow decreases with increased cross-sectional blood vessel area. As blood returns to the heart through venules and veins, its velocity increases. The movement of blood is encouraged by smooth muscle in the vessel walls, the movement of skeletal muscle surrounding the vessels, and one-way valves that prevent backflow.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 31, 2026

A Novel Approach to Overcome Movement Artifact When Using a Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging System for Alternating Speeds of Blood Microcirculation

A Novel Approach to Overcome Movement Artifact When Using a Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging System for Alternating Speeds of Blood Microcirculation

Published on: August 30, 2017

Free flap blood flow evaluated using two-dimensional laser speckle flowgraphy.

Toshiaki Furuta¹, Michihiko Sone, Yasushi Fujimoto

¹Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan.

International Journal of Otolaryngology

|July 1, 2011

Summary

Laser speckle flowgraphy effectively measures blood flow in plastic surgery free flaps. This technique reliably assesses cutaneous blood flow, proving useful in perioperative settings for various clinical applications.

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Last Updated: May 31, 2026

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Published on: August 30, 2017

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How to Build a Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging (LSCI) System to Monitor Blood Flow

How to Build a Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging (LSCI) System to Monitor Blood Flow

Published on: November 11, 2010

Area of Science:

Plastic Surgery
Medical Imaging
Vascular Surgery

Background:

Free flaps are crucial in reconstructive surgery, particularly after head and neck tumor excision.
Assessing blood flow in free flaps is vital for surgical success and preventing complications.
Current methods for evaluating flap perfusion can be limited in real-time, dynamic assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the efficiency of laser speckle flowgraphy (LSF) for perioperative blood flow assessment in free flaps.
To compare the blood flow characteristics of different types of free flaps using LSF.
To determine the clinical utility of LSF in plastic surgery.

Main Methods:

Utilized a visual laser meter employing a dynamic laser speckle effect for two-dimensional blood flow mapping.
Examined blood flow in 20 free flaps (musculocutaneous, jejunal, omental) post-anastomosis and flap closure.
Measured blood flow distribution from the flap edge to the center.

Main Results:

Musculocutaneous (MC) flaps demonstrated significantly lower blood flow compared to jejunal or omental flaps (P < .05).
The reduction in blood flow from the flap edge to the center was significantly more pronounced in MC flaps (P < .001).
LSF provided detailed, graphic representations of blood flow distribution.

Conclusions:

Laser speckle flowgraphy is a practical and reliable tool for perioperative blood flow measurement in free flaps.
LSF offers valuable insights into flap perfusion, aiding in surgical decision-making.
The technique shows promise for broader clinical applications in assessing cutaneous blood flow.