Ikuo KONISHI^*, Yasnobu ITO, Naofumi SAKAUCHI, Manami KOBAYASHI and Yoshio TSUNAZAWA

Technology Research Laboratory, Shimadzu Corporation, 3-9-4 Hikaridai, Seikacho, Soraku-gun, Kyoto 619-0237, Japan

(Received February 17, 2003; Accepted October 9, 2003)

A new four-wavelength optical imager has been developed for the evaluation of various vascular diseases. Four-wavelength optical intensity images are transformed to an oxygenation mapping, which further provide maps of rapid changes in hemoglobin distribution in human skin related with peripheral blood flow. This paper presents the configuration of the system and test measurements for foot disease. Forty-nine volunteers took part in our measurements with an occlusion test of their legs. Some differences were observed in oxygenation change between healthy volunteers and patients, and arteriosclerosis obliterate (ASO) patients and healthy volunteers were clearly distinguishable.

Key words: hemoglobin distribution, human skin, peripheral blood flow, oxy-hemoglobin, deoxy-hemoglobin, ASO, diabetes

^*E-mail address: ikonishi@shimadzu.co.jp