Development of a New Splanchnic Perfusion Sensor

The continuous monitoring of splanchnic organ oxygen saturation (SpO₂) would make the early detection of inadequate tissue oxygenation feasible, reducing the risk of hypoperfusion, severe ischemia, multiple organ failure, and, ultimately, death. In an attempt to create a splanchnic SpO₂ sensor that can be used intra-operatively, pre-operatively and post-operatively this paper describes the design and technical evaluation of fiber optic based reflectance pulse oximeter sensor and processing system. In a detailed investigation to determine the optimal source-emitter spacing it was found that the optimum separation distance was between 3mm and 6mm. In vivo thermal testing showed that the rise in temperature at the tip of the fiber at both wavelengths was insignificant and therefore should have no effect in the splanchnic tissue.