Optical methods for tissue perfusion and oxygenation measurements

Optical methods from the infrared range, especially Laser-Doppler flowmetry and near infrared spectroscopy offer a new non-invasive, real-time technique for monitoring of blood perfusion and oxygenation in living tissue. In spite of some instrumental problems e.g. relative calibration, unknown sampling measurement depth, these methods are already used in clinical studies. In the paper the methods principle, technical development and selected clinical applications have been described.