In vivo measurement of bladder wall oxygen saturation using optical spectroscopy

Current diagnosis, follow-up and treatment of patients suffering from bladder dysfunction are mainly symptom-targeted. A recently recognized cause of continuing bladder function loss is a deteriorated bladder microvasculature. Incorporating this aspect into the clinical diagnostic toolbox may improve treatment results. Recent developments in the field of optical spectroscopy now allow for non-invasive measurement of microvascular blood oxygen saturation in living tissue. We have recently reported pre-clinical data that show that this marker can be successfully measured in an animal bladder. In the animal model the marker differentiated bladders with loss of function from those with normal function. In the present paper, we report on the first in vivo measurement of this marker in the human bladder, as proof of principle, in the muscle of bladders with a normal function.