haemospect® is a new hand held blood and tissue analyzer from MBR Optical Systems GmbH & Co. KG of Wuppertal, Germany. According to the company, the device, now on display at Medica 2008 in Düsseldorf, can measure noninvasively the following parameters: total hemoglobin (tHb), oxygenated haemoglobin (HbO2), deoxygenated haemoglobin (Hb), tissue haemoglobin (tHb), oxygenated tissue haemoglobin (tHbO2), deoxygenated tissue haemoglobin, water content (% per g of tissue), mean vascular radius (capillaries, arterioles, veins), and more. The haemospect® shines light through the skin of the patient, measures the frequency of the light reflecting from within, and applies embedded algorithms to decipher the results.
From the device page:
Especially in the care of premature neonates, the regular measurement of oxygen content in the blood and tissues is tremendously important for the implementation of correct and rapid therapies. Up to now, it was quite difficult and painful, to extract a sufficient amount of blood for a laboratory test from a premature baby. haemospect® represents a major advancement here – and continuous measurements pose no problems either.
haemospect® is a mobile, robust hand-held device that can be used easily and effectively in any number of applications. It comprises a battery-driven measurement device, a measurement probe and a holder in which the device is recalibrated before each measurement.
Benefits at a glance:Painless measurement of haemoglobin values without the need to draw blood Measurement results in seconds Documentation of the measured values in the device Hygienic, easy, reliable operation Rapid application of results for therapy Mobility and versatility through battery-powered operation No consumables, no laboratory Extremely attractive economic benefits, rapid amortisation of investment cost Principle of operation
A sensor head placed on the skin projects a white light into the underlying tissue via a waveguide. Some of the projected light is absorbed by the various components of tissue, while some of it is reflected. Another waveguide transmits the light reflected as a result of the physical conditions back to the device. A spectrometer breaks the light down into its separate wavelengths and an electronic evaluation unit connected to the system analyses it.
The resulting data is then processed using an algorithm developed by MBR and visualised on the display of the device in the form of quantitative values measured for the parameters described above.
Abstract: Measurement of Transcutaneous Hemoglobin Concentration by Noninvasive White-Light Spectroscopy in Infants PEDIATRICS Vol. 116 No. 4 October 2005, pp. 841-843
Device page, including video demonstrating the haemospect®…
Article about the device in SPIEGEL ONLINE… (Google translation)