Portable Oxygen-Sensing Device for the Improved Assessment of Compartment Syndrome and other Hypoxia-Related Conditions

TL;DR

This paper introduces a portable fiber-optic oxygen sensor designed for early detection of compartment syndrome, demonstrating sensitivity and reproducibility in vivo, addressing a critical unmet clinical need.

Contribution

A novel portable fiber-optic device utilizing phosphorescence quenching for intramuscular oxygen measurement, suitable for early diagnosis of compartment syndrome.

Findings

Sensor sensitive across 0-880 mmHg oxygen range

Reproducible response to oxygen changes in vivo

Outperforms existing laboratory oxygen sensors

Abstract

Measurement of intramuscular oxygen could play a key role in the early diagnosis of acute compartment syndrome, a common condition occurring after severe trauma leading to ischemia and long-term consequences including rhabdomyolysis, limb loss, and death. However, to date, there is no existing oxygen sensor approved for such a purpose. To address the need to improve the assessment of compartment syndrome, a portable fiber-optic device for intramuscular oxygen measurements was developed. The device is based on phosphorescence quenching, where the tip of an optical fiber was coated with a poly(propyl methacrylate) (PPMA) matrix containing a brightly emitting Pt(II)-core porphyrin. The optoelectronic circuit is highly portable and is based on a microspectrometer and a microcontroller readout with a smartphone. Results from an in vivo tourniquet porcine model show that the sensor is sensitive across the physiological oxygen partial pressure range of 0-880 mmHg and exhibits an appropriate and reproducible response to changes in intramuscular oxygen. A commercial laboratory oxygen sensor based on a lifetime measurement did not respond as expected.