Diffuse optical multipatch technique for tissue oxygenation monitoring: Clinical study in intensive care unit

Diffuse optical multipatch technique is used to assess spatial variations in absorption and scattering in biological tissue, by monitoring changes in the concentration of oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin. In our preliminary study, the temporal tracings of tissue oxygenation are measured using diffuse optical multipatch measurement and a venous occlusion test, employing normal subjects and ICU patients suffering from sepsis and heart failure. In experiments, obvious differences in tissue oxygenation signals were observed among all three groups. This paper discusses the physiological relevance of tissue oxygenation with respect to disease.