Applications of OxiplexTS™

Several areas may benefit from the monitoring of the absolute values of tissue oxygenation, especially when pulse oximetry is not applicable because of the irregularity, or the lack of, the heartbeat, and in all the cases where the tissue oxygenation, and not the arterial oxygen saturation, is the parameter of interest. Therefore, the applications of the OxiplexTS™ include but are not limited to:

• Premature Infant Intensive Care
  

  The OxiplexTS™ can be used to monitor premature infant brain oxygenation. As shown, the probe gently rests on the infants head during the measurement process.
• Sleep Apnea
  

  The Greek word "apnea" literally means "without breath." There are three types of apnea: obstructive, central, and mixed. Despite the difference in the root cause of each type, in all three, people with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times during the night and often for a minute or longer. The OxiplexTS™ is used to both diagnose sleep apnea and to determine its severity. The diagram above will help you understand how the OxiplexTS™ is used.

  Each laser diode is coupled to an optical fiber (400 mm in core diameter). We group the two sets of eight fibers that guide the light at the two wavelengths into two fiber bundles (source fibers). The optical signal detected at the tissue surface is guided to the two parallel detector channels of the spectrometer by two optical fiber bundles of 3 mm internal diameter each (detector fibers). The detector fibers are placed on the same side of the examined tissue (the forehead in this case) in a symmetrical configuration so each sensor will acquire data from two symmetrical parts of the brain. The sensor carries two separate rows of four light sources each (labeled D1-D5 and D4-D8 respectively). Each row emits light at wavelengths 758 nm and 830 nm respectively. The light source pairs are at different distances from the detector fiber. The source-detector distances are 2 cm for D1 and D5, 2.5 cm for D2 and D6, 3 cm for D3 and D7, and 3.5 cm for D4 and D8.

• Sports Medicine & Kinesiology
  

  The ability to characterize the muscular performance of athletes before, during and after exercise leads to vital information in the field of sports medicine. These measurements may monitor the muscle tissue oxygenation and hemodynamics and assist in determining an athlete's exercise capacity, assessing the efficacy and validity of training programs and tracking an athlete's progress while in rehabilitative conditioning.
• Peripheral Vascular Disease
  

  In its most common form, Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD) is a narrowing of the vessels carrying blood to muscles in the legs and arms. Most patients report experiences of pain in the extremities (usually lower limbs), which is relieved with rest. The pain is a manifestation of inadequate blood flow and oxygen delivery to the exercising muscle due to vascular luminal narrowing and blockage. OxiplexTS™, by monitoring the tissue oxygenation, provides the research physician with unique information about the perfusion of the muscle, information that is not obtainable using other techniques such as the pulse oximeter. In fact, the pulse oximeter probes the arterial oxygenation level, which can still be at acceptable levels in patients suffering from PVD.

  Early diagnosis of PVD significantly improves a patient's quality of life. Through monitored treatment and the introduction of a few changes in lifestyle, such as exercise and following special dietary guidelines, the patient is able to control the effects of the disease. OxiplexTS™ provides indispensable information during the observation phase in monitoring and assessing the patient's improvements.
• Monitoring Brain Oxygenation in OR/ER/ICU
  

  With 20% of oxygen consumption occurring in the human brain, any deficiency in oxygen supply may result in injury. While the causes leading to hypoxic or ischemic conditions in the brain may differ (high altitudes, sleep apnea, difficult childbirth, heart attack, etc.), adequate brain oxygenation levels are necessary for brain homeostasis.
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Anesthesiology
• Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgery
• Neurosurgery
• Tumor Oxygenation
• Women's Health
• Obstetrics
• High Altitude Physiology
• Tissue Oxygenation in Hyperbaric Chambers
• Ergonomics