25 Medical Products Inspired by Biological Oscillators …
393
Fig. 25.4 Effect of
30 minutes of intermittent
impulse compression applied
to the palm of the hand on
the blood flux in dorsal
finger skin as measured by
laser Doppler fluximetry
(data collected at 0.5 Hz)
Research on the effects of IPC at a microcirculatory level has been limited by
available technology. In skin, laser Doppler fluximetry is an excellent non-invasive
tool for studying the microvascular haemodynamic changes that arise from IPC and
significant increases in skin flux at the microcirculatory level have been observed [40,
74, 4]. Examples of the effect of 30 minutes of IPC to the palm of the hand on blood
flux in dorsal finger skin are shown in Figs. 25.4 and 25.5 (authors’ unpublished
data).
The combination of LDF along with spectroscopic techniques has identified an
increase in the oxygenation status of the enhanced microcirculatory blood flow
induced by IPC indicating enhanced arterial inflow in the microcirculation [74]. This
Fig. 25.5 Cyclical changes in flux induced in dorsal finger skin microcirculation during intermittent
impulse compression with a cuff inflation of 3 cycles per minute (data collected at 40 Hz). Cuff was
inflated to 130 mmHg in <0.5 s and held for 1 s before deflation. A temporary surge in flux can be
seen upon each cuff inflation due to mechanical compression followed by a steady increase of flux
indicative of vasodilation in response to shear stress [74]
393
Fig. 25.4 Effect of
30 minutes of intermittent
impulse compression applied
to the palm of the hand on
the blood flux in dorsal
finger skin as measured by
laser Doppler fluximetry
(data collected at 0.5 Hz)
Research on the effects of IPC at a microcirculatory level has been limited by
available technology. In skin, laser Doppler fluximetry is an excellent non-invasive
tool for studying the microvascular haemodynamic changes that arise from IPC and
significant increases in skin flux at the microcirculatory level have been observed [40,
74, 4]. Examples of the effect of 30 minutes of IPC to the palm of the hand on blood
flux in dorsal finger skin are shown in Figs. 25.4 and 25.5 (authors’ unpublished
data).
The combination of LDF along with spectroscopic techniques has identified an
increase in the oxygenation status of the enhanced microcirculatory blood flow
induced by IPC indicating enhanced arterial inflow in the microcirculation [74]. This
Fig. 25.5 Cyclical changes in flux induced in dorsal finger skin microcirculation during intermittent
impulse compression with a cuff inflation of 3 cycles per minute (data collected at 40 Hz). Cuff was
inflated to 130 mmHg in <0.5 s and held for 1 s before deflation. A temporary surge in flux can be
seen upon each cuff inflation due to mechanical compression followed by a steady increase of flux
indicative of vasodilation in response to shear stress [74]