Broadband diffuse optical spectroscopy assessment of hemorrhage- and hemoglobin-based blood substitute resuscitation.

Hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) are solutions of cell-free hemoglobin (Hb) that have been developed for replacement or augmentation of blood transfusion. It is important to monitor in vivo tissue hemoglobin content, total tissue hemoglobin [THb], oxy- and deoxy-hemoglobin concentrations ([OHb], [RHb]), and tissue oxygen saturation (S(t)O(2)=[OHb][THb]x100%) to evaluate effectiveness of HBOC transfusion. We designed and constructed a broadband diffuse optical spectroscopy (DOS) prototype system to measure bulk tissue absorption and scattering spectra between 650 and 1000 nm capable of accurately determining these tissue hemoglobin component concentrations in vivo.