METHOD FOR MONITORING VIABILITY OF TISSUE FLAPS

• US 20070051379A1
• Filed: 09/08/2005
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ViOptix, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ViOptix, Inc.
• Inventors: Mao, Jian-Min, Lash, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,657,293 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/898
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/413 Monitoring transplanted tissue or organ, e.g. for possible rejection reactions after a transplant
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4312 Breast evaluation or disorder diagnosis A61B5/0091 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4848 Monitoring or testing the effects of treatment, e.g. of medication

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for assessing the viability of tissue such as flap tissue are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for assessing the viability of flap tissue includes obtaining an oxygen saturation level associated with a first location on the flap tissue, determining whether the oxygen saturation level is less than a first level, and identifying the first location as having a poor blood supply if the oxygen saturation level is less than the first level.

Claims

1. A method for assessing viability of flap tissue, the method comprising:

obtaining an oxygen saturation level associated with a first location on the flap tissue;

determining whether the oxygen saturation level is less than a first level; and

identifying the first location as having a poor blood supply if it is determined that the oxygen saturation level is less than the first level.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first level is approximately 50 percent.

3. The method of claim 1 further including:

trimming the flap tissue at the first location if the first location is identified as having the poor blood supply.

4. The method of claim 1 further including:

placing a sensor head of an optical imaging system in contact with the flap tissue at the first location, wherein the sensor head causes light to be reflected off of the flap tissue to identify the oxygen saturation level.

5. A method for characterizing an artery associated with flap tissue, the artery being arranged to provide blood to the flap tissue, the method comprising:

identifying a first oxygen saturation level associated with the flap tissue;

inhibiting a flow of blood through the artery;

identifying a second oxygen saturation level associated with the flap tissue after inhibiting the flow of blood through the artery;

determining whether the second oxygen saturation level is significantly different from the first oxygen saturation level; and

designating the artery as providing significant blood to the flap tissue if it is determined that the second oxygen saturation level is significantly different from the first oxygen saturation level.

6. The method of claim 5 further including:

designating the artery as providing insignificant blood to the flap tissue if it is determined that the second oxygen saturation level is not significantly different from the first oxygen saturation level.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein designating the artery as providing insignificant blood to the flap tissue includes cutting the artery and tying off the artery.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein designating the artery as providing significant blood to the flap tissue includes cutting the artery and identifying the artery as a reattachment artery.

9. The method of claim 5 further including:

placing a sensor head of an optical imaging system in contact with the flap tissue at a first location, wherein the sensor head causes light to be reflected off of the flap tissue to identify the first oxygen saturation level and the second oxygen saturation level.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein inhibiting the flow of blood through the artery includes clamping the artery to cut off a supply of blood through the artery.

11. A method for identifying a location at which to obtain measurements of oxygen saturation levels, the method comprising:

positioning a sensor head at a first location, the sensor head being coupled to at least a first detector, a second detector, and a first source;

obtaining a first optical measurement and a second optical measurement using the sensor head, the first optical measurement being associated with the first detector when the first source emits light that is reflected into the first detector and the second optical measurement being associated with the second detector when the first source emits light that is reflected into the second detector;

determining whether at least a first ratio of the first optical measurement to the second optical measurement is approximately equal to one; and

identifying the first location as the location at which to obtain the measurements of oxygen saturation levels if it is determined that the first ratio of the first optical measurement to the second optical measurement is approximately equal to one.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein if it is determined that the first ratio of the first optical measurement to the second optical measurement is not approximately equal to one, the method further includes:

determining whether the first ratio has a value that is closer to one than any other ratio of a plurality of ratios; and

identifying the first location as the location at which to obtain the measurements of oxygen saturation levels if it is determined that the first ratio has the value that is closer to one than any other ratio of the plurality of ratios.

13. The method of claim 11 further including:

measuring oxygen saturation levels at the first location if it is determined that the first ratio of the first optical measurement to the second optical measurement is approximately equal to one.

14. A method for assessing viability of a tissue structure, the method comprising:

obtaining an oxygen saturation level associated with a first location on the tissue structure;

determining whether the oxygen saturation level is within a predetermined range; and

identifying the first location as having an insufficient oxygen saturation level if it is determined that the oxygen saturation level is not within the predetermined range.

15. The method of claim 14 further including:

trimming the tissue structure at the first location if the first location is identified as having the insufficient oxygen saturation level.

16. The method of claim 14 further including:

placing a sensor head of an optical imaging system in contact with the tissue structure at the first location, wherein the sensor head causes light to be reflected off of the tissue structure to identify the oxygen saturation level.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the tissue structure has an artery coupled thereto, the first location being located distally with respect to the artery.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the tissue structure is a flap.