1. Evaluation of the robustness of cerebral oximetry to variations in skin pigmentation using a tissue-simulating phantom.
- Author
-
Afshari, Ali, Saager, Rolf B, Burgos, David, Vogt, William C, Wang, Jianting, Mendoza, Gonzalo, Weininger, Sandy, Sung, Kung-Bin, Durkin, Anthony J, and Pfefer, T Joshua
- Subjects
Paediatrics ,Biomedical and Clinical Sciences ,Bioengineering ,Pediatric ,Optical Physics ,Materials Engineering ,Ophthalmology and optometry ,Biomedical engineering ,Atomic ,molecular and optical physics - Abstract
Clinical studies have demonstrated that epidermal pigmentation level can affect cerebral oximetry measurements. To evaluate the robustness of these devices, we have developed a phantom-based test method that includes an epidermis-simulating layer with several melanin concentrations and a 3D-printed cerebrovascular module. Measurements were performed with neonatal, pediatric and adult sensors from two commercial oximeters, where neonatal probes had shorter source-detector separation distances. Referenced blood oxygenation levels ranged from 30 to 90%. Cerebral oximeter outputs exhibited a consistent decrease in saturation level with simulated melanin content; this effect was greatest at low saturation levels, producing a change of up to 15%. Dependence on pigmentation was strongest in a neonatal sensor, possibly due to its high reflectivity. Overall, our findings indicate that a modular channel-array phantom approach can provide a practical tool for assessing the impact of skin pigmentation on cerebral oximeter performance and that modifications to algorithms and/or instrumentation may be needed to mitigate pigmentation bias.
- Published
- 2022