Potential of Laser Doppler Flowmetry in the Medical Needle Insertion Procedures.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Devices
• Optical Sensing

Background:

• Medical needle insertion procedures carry a risk of inadvertent blood vessel damage.
• Accurate real-time detection of blood vessels near insertion sites is crucial for patient safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a compact laser Doppler Flowmetry (LDF) based system for detecting blood vessels during moving needle insertions.
• To assess the system's ability to identify blood flow independently of needle parameters and within tissue phantoms.

Main Methods:

• A novel LDF system was designed, incorporating two optical fibers within the needle probe, a laser unit, and a photodetector.
• The system measures perfusion by detecting photons scattered from moving red blood cells.
• The LDF system's performance was tested in tissue phantoms with a moving probe.

Main Results:

• The LDF system successfully detected blood flow in the vicinity of a moving needle.
• Detection was independent of needle penetration angle, site, or depth.
• Blood vessels were identifiable within a tissue phantom even when the probe was in motion.

Conclusions:

• The developed LDF system is a flexible and needle-compatible technology.
• This LDF system shows significant potential for enhancing safety in medical needle insertion procedures by enabling real-time blood vessel detection.