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Laser Doppler flowmetry during hyperaemic reactions in the skin.
1Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Allmänna, Sjukhuset, Malmö, Sweden.
International Journal of Microcirculation, Clinical and Experimental
|January 1, 1988
Summary
Laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) measures skin blood flow, but its accuracy varies with blood cell concentration. Adding concentration of moving blood cells (CMBC) measurement improves understanding of microvascular flow changes.
Area of Science:
- Physiology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Skin blood flow is crucial for thermoregulation and tissue health.
- Laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) is a non-invasive technique to assess microcirculation.
- Understanding LDF signal limitations is vital for accurate interpretation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between LDF signals and actual blood flow during induced vasodilation.
- To evaluate the performance of different LDF signal processing methods.
- To determine the influence of blood cell concentration on LDF measurements.
Main Methods:
- Laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) used on fingertip and dorsum of hand in healthy volunteers.
- Induced vasodilation via warm water immersion (fingertip) and dihydralazine injection (hand dorsum).
- Simultaneous measurements with venous occlusion plethysmography and 133Xe clearance.
Main Results:
- LDF signals increased during vasodilation but underestimated total flow compared to reference methods.
- The LDF signal processor accounting for concentration of moving blood cells (CMBC) showed greater increases than the basic signal.
- Higher CMBC values revealed discrepancies between different LDF signal outputs, indicating partial registration of arteriovenous shunt flow.
Conclusions:
- LDF signals reflect both capillary flow and flow in deeper vessels.
- Arteriovenous shunt flow in the fingertip may be incompletely measured by LDF.
- Incorporating CMBC measurements enhances the interpretation of LDF data for microvascular studies.