Light for measuring brain oxygenation
2006/01/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria
Duke University anesthesiologists have developed a tool that uses near-infrared light to control brain oxygenation during operations.
One of the dangers of operations is anoxia. If not enough oxygen reaches the brain, serious damage can occur. To avoid this it is essential to control well the oxygenation of the brain.
To measure the level of oxygen in the blood, doctors periodically take blood from the neck veins and check the oxygen content with cooximetry. Otherwise, with a pulse oximeter placed on the patient's finger, they measure blood oxygenation. In one way or another, they measure the oxygen level of extracranial blood and must calculate the oxygenation of the brain.
The tool developed at Duke University allows direct control of brain oxygenation. Near infrared light crosses the scalp and skull, detecting the hemoglobin of red blood cells. This allows knowing at all times the level of oxygen of the brain blood vessels painlessly, safely and with great precision.
