Cerebral oximetry--techniques

The use of techniques to measure cerebral oxygen saturation is gradually gaining wide popularity. The main methods available today can mainly be classified as invasive or noninvasive. The invasive technology uses the parenchyma probes, which measure oxygen and biochemical parameters, depending upon the type of probe used. The noninvasive techniques use near infrared spectroscopy for transcranial cerebral oximetry. At present there is no universally accepted indication for the use of either technique but with time and wider use they are expected to become better understood. We discuss our experience and the techniques used in cerebral oximetry.