Optical sensor for hemoglobin content and oxygen saturation. Application to artificial heart research

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Devices
• Optical Sensing

Background:

• Continuous monitoring of blood parameters like hemoglobin ([Hb]) and oxygen saturation (OS) is crucial for assessing cardiopulmonary function and metabolic status.
• Existing methods often require invasive blood sampling, limiting real-time assessment.
• Development of non-invasive or minimally invasive sensors is a key area of research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a hybrid optical sensor capable of simultaneously measuring hemoglobin content ([Hb]) and oxygen saturation (OS) in whole blood.
• To assess the accuracy and reliability of the sensor for chronic in vivo monitoring.
• To explore the sensor's utility in conjunction with artificial hearts for real-time physiological monitoring and control.

Main Methods:

• Development of a hybrid optical sensor system.
• Calibration and validation of the sensor's accuracy for [Hb] and OS measurements across a specific hematocrit range (25-45%).
• Chronic implantation of sensors in outflow ports of artificial hearts in an animal model for continuous monitoring of arterial and mixed venous blood parameters.

Main Results:

• The developed sensor demonstrated high accuracy with measurement errors of 0.5 g% for [Hb] and 1.2% for OS.
• Derived oxygen content showed a low standard error (0.1-0.2 vol%).
• Sensors functioned reliably for 40 days, providing stable measurements without thrombus formation, indicating good biocompatibility.

Conclusions:

• The hybrid optical sensor is a valuable tool for continuous, non-invasive monitoring of [Hb] and OS.
• This technology can provide real-time insights into cardiopulmonary function and metabolic status, reducing the need for frequent blood sampling.
• The sensor system holds potential for integration into artificial circulatory support systems for automated control of pump output based on blood oxygen levels.