Laser Doppler Technique for Absolute Measurement of Blood Speed in Retinal Vessels

We describe an electrooptical laser Doppler system and technique of data analysis that provides absolute measurements of the speed of red blood cells flowing at discrete, selectable sites in the retinal vasculature. We present in vitro test measurements of the instrumentation as well as an example of an in vivo measurement from a patient with retinal vascular disease. We also present experimental data leading to the derivation of the relationship between the blood speeds measured in retinal arteries during the minimum diastolic and maximum systolic phases of the cardiac cycle and the time-averaged blood speed. Mean blood flow rate is calculated using the time-averaged speed and the cross-sectional area of the vessel at the measurement site. We discuss the criteria for selection of the measurement sites and assess the reproducibility of the measurements. We conclude that measurements on retinal arteries are less susceptible to experimental artifacts and provide more information than do measurements on retinal veins. The system is currently being used clinically in studies of retinal circulatory alterations in patients with diabetic retinopathy, arterial occlusive disease, retinal detachment, and carotid artery disease.