Non-invasive laser Doppler perfusion measurements of large tissue volumes and human skeletal muscle blood RMS velocity

This study proposes the implementation of an algorithm allowing one to derive absolute blood root-mean-square (RMS) velocity values from laser Doppler perfusion meter (LDP) data. The algorithm is based on the quasi-elastic light scattering theory and holds for multiple scattering. While standard LDP measurements are normally applicable to a small region of interest (similar to 1 mm(2)), the present method allows the analysis of both small and large tissue volumes with small and large interoptode spacings (e.g., 1.5 cm). The applicability and the limits of the method are demonstrated with measurements on human skeletal muscle using a custom-built near-infrared LDP meter. Human brachioradialis muscle RMS velocity values of 9.99 +/- 0.01 and 5.58 +/- 0.03 mm s(-1) at 1.5 cm and of 5.18 +/- 0.01 and 2.54 +/- 0.09 mm s(-1) at 2 cm were found when the arm was (a) at rest and (b) occluded, respectively. At very large optode spacings or very high moving particle densities, the theory developed here would need to be amended to take into account second-order effects.