Measurement of oxygen saturation in venous blood by dynamic near infrared spectroscopy

A method for the measurement of oxygen saturation in the venous blood, SvO2, based on optical measurements of light absorption in the infrared region is presented. The method consists of applying relatively low external pressure of 25 mm Hg on the forearm, thereby increasing the venous blood volume in the tissue, and comparing the light absorption before and after the external pressure application. SvO2 has been determined from light absorption measurements in two wavelengths, before and after the pressure application, using a formula derived for two adjacent wavelengths. The method has been applied to the hands and fingers of 17 healthy male subjects, using wavelengths of 767 and 811 nm. SaO2, the oxygen saturation for arterial blood, was also obtained from photoplethysmographic measurements in these two wavelengths (pulse oximetry) using the same formula. The mean (+/- SD) value of SaO2 was 94.5% (+/- 3.0). The mean value of SvO2 was 86.2% (+/- 4.1) for the finger and 80.0% (+/- 8.2) for the hand. These SvO2 values are reasonable for the finger and the hand where arterio-venous anastomoses exist. The method enables the measurement of SvO2 in the limbs, a parameter which is related to tissue blood flow and oxygen consumption.