Detection of Microvascular Failure Using Bioimpedance and Sensor-derived Clinical Indicators: A Preliminary Study
Loïc Van Dieren1,2,3,4, Haïzam Oubari1,2,3, Leonard Knoedler5,6
1From the Center for Engineering in Medicine and Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Global Open
|July 9, 2026
Summary
Early detection of flap failure is crucial. A new multisensory approach using temperature, bioimpedance, and color sensing offers continuous, objective monitoring for improved flap viability assessment and surgical outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Surgical Innovation
- Medical Device Development
Background:
- Early detection of flap failure is critical for successful salvage surgery.
- Current monitoring methods are subjective, time-consuming, and may miss early failure signs.
- A continuous, objective monitoring system can improve detection accuracy and response times.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore a multisensory strategy for early detection of flap failure.
- To identify early physiological changes associated with flap failure using continuous monitoring.
- To validate a multisensor approach in a preclinical model.
Main Methods:
- Simulated flap failure in a rat hindlimb model via femoral artery/vein clamping.
- Continuous recording of physiological responses (temperature, skin color, bioimpedance) for 2 hours postclamping.
- Statistical analysis using a 1-sample t-test with significance at P < 0.05.
Main Results:
- Distinct physiological trends emerged in flap failure groups compared to controls.
- The multisensor approach (temperature, bioimpedance, color) showed preliminary validation in flap monitoring.
- Each sensing modality provided complementary insights into perfusion changes, with bioimpedance showing consistent trends.
Conclusions:
- A multisensory approach shows potential for early, noninvasive flap failure detection.
- Continuous monitoring of temperature, color, and bioimpedance can enhance tissue viability assessment.
- Further development of real-time sensing systems can improve surgical outcomes and patient safety.
