Evaluation of a Laser Doppler Flowmeter for Measurement of Tissue Blood Flow

An instrument for measurement of tissue blood flow based on the laser Doppler principle was evaluated using a fluid model. A unique and linear relationship between flowmeter response and flux of red cells was demonstrated with red cell velocities and volume fractions within the normal physiological range of the microcirculatory network of the skin. Different degrees of oxygenation proved to influence the Doppler signal only to a minor extent. The study also shows that the Doppler signal is formed essentially by heterodyne mixing of light beams backscattered in static structures and moving red cells.