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Enquiries: NRC-IBD
Phone: 204-983-7692
Fax: 204-983-3154
Email: ibd.research@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca
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Peripheral Vascular Disease
PVD can result in amputation
Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD) is primarily a result of compromised circulation to the lower extremities. Patients often present with resting pain in the legs and feet. However, if the vascular compromise reaches a critical point, toes and feet can become ulcerated and ultimately, if the ulcers cannot be healed, amputated. PVD is a major cause of amputation in North America.
The Problem:
Current methods to assess and diagnose PVD are often time consuming and inconvenient, requiring that the patient make an additional visit to the vascular lab where they often undergo multiple tests, including an ankle-brachial index measurement, ABI, and transcutaneous oxygen monitoring, TcpO2.
Bedside Monitoring
The NRC-IBD Spectroscopy Group is examining the potential of using optical spectroscopy to provide a new and simple test for peripheral vascular disease that could be performed within minutes at the doctor's office during the initial visit. The technique could be used to instantaneously grade PVD and, when needed, aid in the determination of the optimal level for amputation, thereby minimizing tissue loss.
Optical spectroscopy also has the potential to be used in the assessment of various forms of PVD treatment, including hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy, which is commonly used to promote wound healing.
Hyperbaric Chamber
Imaging through the hyperbaric chamber
By positioning a patient with PVD in a pressurized hyperbaric chamber (shown), it is possible to increase the amount of oxygen reaching body tissues by 10 to 20 times that of the normal amount. Since oxygen is vital to wound healing, and since optical spectroscopy is able to measure tissue oxygenation, the spectroscopic assessment of the HBO treatment is a natural fit.
