Introduction

The measurement of the water content inside tissues has a crucial importance in evaluating the oxygen delivered to cells during a diffuse inflammation and the therapeutic effect of drugs and fluids administration. The invention relates to an instrument of Near Infra Red Spectroscopy (NIRS) technology capable to take in vivo measure changes in the water content of tissues.

Technical features

The instrument performs non-invasive and contemporary measurements of perfusion and water content in biological tissues. The “quantitative” NIRS optical technology is used, which integrates the absorption of light due to hemoglobin and water, providing an innovative measure of the water content in human tissues in relation to the pressures and volumes of the microvascular bed. The instrument, by evaluating the concentrations of hemoglobin and water in tissues such as skeletal muscle, brain and kidney (in the child), unlike the NIRS equipment on the market, provides measurements of volumes and pressures in the microvascular bed. Such equipment, highly automated and easily usable and interpretable by even inexperienced personnel, will provide the clinician with numerical variables online and at the patient’s bed that can be used for the treatment of patients, which up to now is not feasible.

Possible Applications

• Intensive Care Units;
• Emergency room;
• Cardiology;
• Nephrology;
• Paediatric neurology;
• Sport Medicine.

Advantages

• Innovative measurement of water content in human tissues in relation to the pressures and volumes of the microvascular bed;
• Automation;
• Easy to use;
• Ease of interpretation.