A new single-fibre laser Doppler flowmeter based on digital signal processing

A new laser Doppler flowmeter, based on a personal computer with a digital signal processor for detecting the blood perfusion in skeletal muscle, was designed and evaluated. An infrared laser diode (750 nm) fed a single optical fibre, 400 microns in diameter, which was introduced into the muscle. A PC equipped with a digital processing unit was used for emulation of the laser Doppler algorithm and for presentation of the measurement results. The Doppler signal power spectral density and corresponding flow values were visualized on the computer screen continuously in real-time, and could also be saved on the hard disk for off-line analyses. The graphic-user interface supported by Labwindows software made the system easy to use. It is possible to alter in the software the signal processing and the ways in which the signals and results are presented. The new system was evaluated by using a flow model as well as a mechanical model. The model studies showed linear relationships between particle velocity and flow in the range of 0-5 mm s-1. The system was also tested in measurements of the blood flow in the brachioradial muscle, and was found to have advantages over our previously used systems.