Compartmental syndrome diagnostics using custom designed bioimpedance analyzer

Increased tissue pressure, due to the changes in quantity and substance of intra - and extracellular fluids, is the primary pathophysiological factor related with emergence of compartmental syndrome. A compartmental syndrome may potentially occur wherever a limiting envelope surrounds neuromuscular tissue. Usually, it requires an immediate diagnostics finding and surgical treatment. The standard clinical diagnostic procedures are either painful for patients, complex, time consuming, expensive or require a highly skilled team. The authors made certain that early and non-invasive diagnostics of compartmental syndrome is possible, especially on the patients with "one-extremity" syndrome, i.e. only one leg seriously ill, using multiple frequency bioimpedance measurement and results analysis, measuring the impedance magnitude and phase angle in the frequency range from 20 Hz to 1 MHz. In the paper, one custom designed bioimpedance multifrequency meter and analyzer, suitable for early and non-invasive detection of compartmental syndrome, is also described.