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. 2023 Aug 25;14(9):4901-4913.
doi: 10.1364/BOE.494637. eCollection 2023 Sep 1.

Non-invasive method for assessment of inflammation

Affiliations

Non-invasive method for assessment of inflammation

I Fine et al. Biomed Opt Express. .

Abstract

This article explores the potential of non-invasive measurement for elevated levels of erythrocyte aggregation in vivo, which have been correlated with a higher risk of inflammatory processes. The study proposes utilizing a dynamic light scattering approach to measure aggregability. The sensor modules, referred to as "mDLS," comprise VCSEL and two photodiodes. Two of these modules are placed on an inflatable transparent cuff, which is then fitted to the subject's finger root, with one sensor module positioned on each side. By temporarily halting blood flow for one minute using over-systolic inflation of the cuff, signals from both sensors are recorded. The study involved three distinct groups of subjects: a control group consisting of 65 individuals, a group of 29 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, and a group of 34 hospitalized patients with inflammatory diseases. Through experimental results, significant differences in signal kinetic behavior were observed between the control group and the two other groups. These differences were attributed to the rate of red blood cell (RBC) aggregation, which is closely associated with inflammation. Overall, the study emphasizes the potential of non-invasive diagnostic tools in evaluating inflammatory processes by analyzing RBC aggregation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no relevant financial interests in the manuscript and no other potential conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Power as a function of frequency for single RBC and double RBC from (5)
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
The average number of cells per aggregate for two different rates of aggregation.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 3.
Decay of normalized EnF as function of time.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 4.
Decay of the DLS spectrum energy due to the aggregation
Fig. 5.
Fig. 5.
a) The actual view of the probe. b) Schematic view of the measurement system. c) “mDLS” module.
Fig. 6.
Fig. 6.
Change of the normalized mean spectral energy (NTE) for 3 groups of subjects. The error bars depict the average deviation of each normalized value across time intervals within the cohort of 65 control subjects.
Fig. 7.
Fig. 7.
a) Noninvasive Aggregation Indexes (NAI) for three group of subjects. b) Distribution of NAI for three group of subjects

Update of

  • doi: 10.1364/opticaopen.22731332.

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