Using an oximeter probe to detect intestinal ischemia

A method comprising:

• through an opening created in an outer tissue of the abdominal cavity of a patient, inducing, via a constriction device, a temporary ischemic period for serosal tissue of an intestinal or mesentery tissue, which is located in the abdominal cavity of the patient, by using the constriction device on a mesenteric artery that supplies blood to the serosal tissue of the intestinal or mesentery tissue;
• introducing into the abdominal cavity, through a trocar that is punctured through the outer tissue, a needle sensor device comprising a hollow needle and the sensor probe, the sensor probe comprising a first optical fiber wherein a distal end of the first optical fiber is located at a tip of the sensor probe forming an oximeter sensor of the oximetry device;
• through the opening, contacting a sensor probe of an oximetry device to a serosal surface of the serosal tissue of the intestinal or mesentery tissue comprising:
• contacting the serosal surface of the serosal tissue of the intestinal or mesentery tissue with the first optical fiber of the sensor probe,
• determining the oxygen saturation value, via the oximetry device, for the tissue comprises:
• during the temporary ischemic period, transmitting a first light from a second optical fiber of the sensor probe to the first optical fiber;
• during the temporary ischemic period, transmitting the first light into the serosal surface of the serosal tissue of the intestinal or mesentery tissue through the first optical fiber at the tip of the sensor probe;
• and
• during the temporary ischemic, collecting reflected radiation from the contacted serosal surface of the serosal tissue of the intestinal or mesentery tissue via the first optical fiber of the sensor probe;
• determining, by the oximetry device, a signal quality factor for contact of the sensor probe of the oximetry device to the serosal surface of the serosal tissue of the intestinal or mesentery tissue;
• measuring, via the oximetry device, whether the signal quality factor for contact of the sensor probe of the oximetry device to the serosal surface of the serosal tissue of the intestinal or mesentery tissue is within a range that indicates at least threshold contact;
• when the signal quality factor is within the range that indicates at least threshold contact, measuring oxygen saturation of the serosal tissue of the intestinal or mesentery tissue, via the oximetry device during the temporary ischemic period, from contacting of the serosal surface of the serosal tissue of the intestinal or mesentery tissue with the sensor probe;
• using a processor, analyzing, via the oximetry device, the oxygen saturation of the serosal tissue of the intestinal or mesentery tissue during the temporary ischemic period comprising:
• transmitting the first light, having a wavelength between about 600 nanometers to about 900 nanometers into the serosal surface of the serosal tissue of the intestinal or mesentery tissue through the first optical fiber at the tip of the sensor probe;
• receiving a second light reflected from the tissue through the first optical fiber at the tip of the sensor probe,
• wherein receiving the second light reflected from the tissue through the first optical fiber at the tip of the sensor probe comprises, during the temporary ischemic, transmitting the reflected radiation from the first optical fiber of the sensor probe to a third optical fiber of the sensor probe, and
• determining an oxygen saturation value, via the oximetry device, for the tissue based on values for the first and second light;
• analyzing, via the oximetry device, the oxygen saturation of the serosal tissue of the intestinal or mesentery tissue during the temporary ischemic period comprises analyzing, via the oximetry device, the oxygen saturation of the serosal tissue of the intestinal or mesentery tissue based on the radiation received in the third optical fiber;
• and
• diagnosing the patient as having intestinal ischemia according to changes in the oxygen saturation in the serosal tissue of the intestinal or mesentery tissue during the temporary ischemic period.

A system for diagnosing an intestinal ischemia, comprising:

• a device to induce a temporary ischemic period, through an opening in an abdominal wall of a patient to access an abdominal cavity of the patient, in serosal tissue of an intestinal or mesentery tissue, which is in the abdominal cavity, by using a device that constricts a mesenteric artery that supplies blood to the serosal tissue of the intestinal or mesentery tissue;
• a sensor probe comprising a first optical fiber, a second optical fiber, and a third optical fiber, wherein the first optical fiber is adapted to deliver radiation to the second optical fiber, the second optical fiber is adapted to contact the serosal tissue of the intestinal or mesentery tissue during the temporary ischemic period of the serosal tissue for emitting the radiation into the contacted serosal tissue and to detect reflected radiation from the contacted serosal tissue, the third optical fiber is adapted to receive the reflected radiation from the second optical fiber, and based on the reflected radiation received in the third optical fiber from the second optical fiber, measure oxygen saturation, via the device, of the serosal tissue of the intestinal or mesentery tissue during the temporary ischemic period of the serosal tissue;
• and
• a system unit including a processor, coupled to the sensor probe, which analyzes oxygen saturation in the serosal tissue of the intestinal or mesentery tissue during the temporary ischemic period and diagnoses, via the device, the patient as having intestinal ischemia according to the oxygen saturation in the intestinal or mesentery tissue during the temporary ischemic period.

A method comprising:

• through an opening in an abdominal wall of a patient to access serosal tissue of an intestinal or mesentery tissue that is located in an abdominal cavity of the patient, inducing, via a constriction device, a temporary ischemic period of serosal tissue of intestinal or mesentery tissue of the patient by using the constriction device to constrict a mesenteric artery that supplies blood to the serosal tissue of the intestinal or mesentery tissue;
• through an opening in an abdominal wall, removing, via the constriction device, a constriction of the mesenteric artery that supplies blood to the serosal tissue of the intestinal or mesentery tissue to induce a recovery from the temporary ischemic period;
• through an opening in an abdominal wall, contacting, via an oximetry device, a serosal surface of the serosal tissue with a first optical fiber of a sensor probe of the oximetry device;
• transmitting radiation from a second optical fiber of the sensor probe to the first optical fiber;
• emitting the radiation from the first optical fiber into the serosal surface of the serosal tissue;
• collecting reflected radiation from the serosal surface of the serosal tissue via the first optical fiber;
• transmitting the reflected radiation from the first optical fiber to a third optical fiber of the sensor probe;
• measuring, via the oximetry device, oxygen saturation of the serosal tissue of the intestinal or mesentery tissue during the recovery from the temporary ischemic period, after removing the constriction to the mesenteric artery, based on the reflected radiation received in the third optical fiber;
• analyzing, via the oximetry device, the oxygen saturation of the serosal tissue of the intestinal or mesentery tissue during recovery from the temporary ischemic period;
• and
• diagnosing, via the oximetry device, the patient as having intestinal ischemia according to changes in the oxygen saturation in the serosal tissue of the intestinal or mesentery tissue during the recovery from the temporary ischemic period.