Download The IONH: Intravascular Oximeter for Noninvasive Hemoglobin

The IONH: Intravascular Oximeter for Noninvasive Hemoglobin Measurement
Rayan K. Kansakar, Swaril Mathur, Jacquelyn A. Monroe, Rachelle L. Pursell, Natalie K. Vold
Mentors: Bruce Tromberg, Michael Ghijsen, Kyle Nadeau, Robert Wilson
The purpose of this research project is to design a handheld, non-invasive diagnostic device to measure
intravascular hemoglobin concentrations. Hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells, plays a critical role in the
transportation of oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. Hemoglobin measurements are used to assess
overall health, monitor disease progression, and check for drug toxicity. The current gold standard is invasive
blood sample testing, which is unfavorable and risky for frequent testing. Existing non-invasive devices, such
as pulse oximeters, measure hemoglobin in the total tissue, not within the blood vessels. Therefore, there is a
serious clinical need for the IONH, an Intravascular Oximeter for Noninvasive Hemoglobin measurement.
The IONH combines multi-spectral illumination and high-speed imaging to measure intravascular
hemoglobin and gather information about respiration, pulse rate, and sub-surface tissue structures. The
current IONH prototype uses five different wavelengths, which penetrate to different depths in the tissue,
and excite a unique reflectance response from the blood. This reflectance response will be used to determine
the type and quantity of hemoglobin in the blood. Currently, the IONH can capture images quickly enough
to measure pulse rate, and can clearly image tissue phantoms in ambient light. Slight modifications to the
probe components and imaging parameters may be necessary to enhance image clarity and depth of
penetration. Noninvasive blood vessel imaging requires high-power, near-infrared illumination and
background-cancelling image processing algorithms. With the implementation of these features in the second
stage IONH prototype, the IONH will be able to accurately measure hemoglobin and pulse rate.