TRANSCUTANEOUS OXYGEN AND LOCAL PERFUSION MEASUREMENT

摘要

Apparatus and method for measuring and monitoring blood oxygen content and local perfusion factor. A transcutaneous gas measurement probe (1) is heated by application of an electric current to a semiconductor device (17a-c) housed therein. The heat developed in the semiconductor device heats the probe to a constant temperature under the control of a temperature monitoring and regulating circuit and the amount of power applied to the semiconductor device is measured by multiplying the current conducted through the semiconductor device by the voltage across it to provide a measurement of local perfusion factor. Alerting circuitry (48) is provided to signal when blood oxygen content and local perfusion factor are outside a predetermined acceptable range.