Several laser-Doppler blood flowmeters are now commercially available; however, only one utilizes an infrared laser diode (Laserflo, TSI, St. Paul, MN). Because of this and other unique features such as its microprocessor-based signal analyzer, we evaluated this device's ability to measure tissue perfusion. Initially, we determined whether laser illumination directly affected the microvasculature. Intravital microscopic observations in the hamster cremaster muscle indicated that neither He-Ne nor infrared laser light affected the diameters of arterioles that were responsive to vasoactive agents. To test the flowmeter for linearity and repeatability, we used a rotating disk to simulate a light-scattering, flowing medium. The "flow" signal was highly correlated (r = 0.99) with the rotational velocity of the disk, was consistent among flow probes, and showed a high degree of reproducibility. The second model consisted of microsphere suspensions pumped through cuvettes. The laser-Doppler velocimeter (LDV) flow signal was linear with respect to pump output. With red blood cells in the perfusate, we examined the effects of blood oxygenation on the flowmeter's performance. The LDV flow signal was unaffected by changes in blood oxygenation. We evaluated linearity in vivo in isolated, perfused rat livers and in isolated canine gastric flaps. We observed linear relationships between total flow and laser-Doppler flow measured on the surface of the liver (r = 0.98) and in the gastric mucosa (r = 0.98), but the slopes of the relationships between total and local LDV flow showed considerable variability not noted in the in vitro studies.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The cutaneous laser Doppler device (LDF) was employed to determine its usefulness in differentiating the circulation of the feet in normal subjects from that in patients with arteriosclerosis obliterans. It is shown that the laser Doppler frequencies correlated well with results from venous occlusion plethysmography, which measured volume rate of flow. Thus, one can determine volume rate of flow by the simple Doppler method. There was a linear relationship between these two methods of measurements. Using the LDF method, it was determined that normal individuals have toe flows that on the average are 42% of finger flows in supine resting subjects. In peripheral vascular disease of the lower extremities, the LDF measurements showed a decreased circulation in the large toes when the patients are supine and the lower extremities flat. The results between health and disease are exaggerated by elevating the feet, at which time the diseased circulation falls to extremely low values compared with those of normal subjects. A similar decrease in skin oxygen tension in the diseased lower extremities was observed when the limbs were elevated.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract