Long term monitoring of blood flow at multiple depths - observations of changes

Detecting reduced circulation, which is a major factor in the development of pressure ulcers, can be done using optical methods. PPG and LDF can be combined and used to evaluate blood flow at different depths. In this study the use of a probe combining PPG and LDF to monitor multiple tissue depths is evaluated. The effects on blood flow and temperature without additional provocation was examined. Measurements were performed during 60 min and the use of an active probe was compared with the use of a semi-active probe turned off a major part of the time. Changes in temperature and blood flow using these probe configurations (active and semi-active probe) are compared; four different 5 min segments during a 60 min measurement. A general increase in both temperature and blood flow is found but this increase could not be concluded to occur due to the light sources of the probe.