Vol. 282, Issue 4, H1502-H1509, April 2002
Validation of OPS imaging for microvascular measurements
during isovolumic hemodilution and low hematocrits
A. G.
Harris1,2,
I.
Sinitsina1, and
K.
Messmer1
1 Institute for Surgical Research, Klinikum Grosshadern,
University of Munich, 81366 Munich, Germany; and
2 Cytometrics, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106
Orthogonal polarization spectral
(OPS) imaging is a new technique that can be used to visualize
the microcirculation with reflected light. It uses hemoglobin
absorption to visualize the red blood cells (RBCs). Thus the method
could fail at low hematocrit (Hct). The aim of this study was to
validate OPS imaging for quantitative measurements of diameter and
functional capillary density (FCD) under conditions of hemodilution of
varying degrees to achieve a wide range of Hcts. The validation was
performed in the dorsal skinfold chamber of nine awake Syrian golden
hamsters. Measurements of vessel diameter and FCD were performed
off-line using Cap-Image on video sequences captured using OPS imaging
and standard intravital fluorescence microscopy at baseline, 85, 70, 55, and 40% of the initial Hct. For hemodilution, isovolumic exchange
of blood for 6% Dextran 60 was performed. Bland-Altman plots for the
vessel diameter and FCD show good agreement between the two methods for both parameters at all studied Hcts. As expected, there was a systematic bias of ~4 µm in the diameter measurements since the RBC
column was measured and not the intravascular diameter. In conclusion,
OPS imaging can be used to measure diameter and FCD at a wide range of Hcts.
Cytoscan; orthogonal polarization spectral imaging