The Retinal Oxygen Saturation Measured by Dual Wavelength Oximetry in Larger Retinal Vessels is Influenced by the Linear Velocity of the Blood

• Published in: Current eye research 2019-01, Vol.44 (1), p.46-52
• Main Authors: Jeppesen, Signe Krejberg, Bek, Toke
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; doppler OCT; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Oximetry; Oxygen Consumption; Retina - metabolism; retinal blood flow; retinal oximetry; Retinal oxygen saturation; Retinal Vessels - metabolism; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0271-3683; 1460-2202
• DOI: 10.1080/02713683.2018.1524015

Purpose: Dual wavelength retinal oximetry allows the quantification of oxygen saturation in the larger retinal vessels. However, the technique might be refined further by identifying factors that are responsible for the different oxygen saturations in first order arterioles from the same eye shortly after their branching from the central retinal artery. The purpose of the present study is to investigate whether these factors involve rheological characteristics in the studied vessels. Materials and Methods: In fourty healthy persons the oxygen saturation was measured by dual wavelength oximetry and the blood flow by Doppler OCT in the upper and lower temporal and nasal arterioles and venules shortly after their branching from the central retinal artery and vein. The relationship of the measured oxygen saturations with age, vessel diameter, and blood linear velocity were assessed. Results: The measured oxygen saturations were (mean± SD) 97.8% ± 6.4% in the arterioles and 60.2% ± 8.8% in the venules. For both the arterioles and the venules the measured oxygen saturation (S m ) correlated significantly with the linear velocity (v) of the blood in mm/s (S m  = 101.6-0.28*v, p