A multiwire hydrogen electrode for in vivo use

A multiwire surface electrode is described for measuring the partial pressure of hydrogen gas within extremely small volumes. The purpose was to record hydrogen clearance curves in vivo in order to analyse capillary blood flow. A method for improving the sensitivity and stability of the Clark-type polarographic sensor is presented. The in vitro and in vivo properties were investigated and are critically compared with the characteristics predicted from various models for the polarographic measurements of gases. The high stability and low drift of the electrode together with its small catchment volume (a hemisphere of radius 32 microns) meant that it could be reliably used for accurate, reproducible local measurements of hydrogen clearance curves in vivo. The experiments also demonstrated that the electrode could be used most successfully for the measurement of capillary blood flow even in the heart and contracting skeletal muscle.