Comparative Study Evaluating Performance of Celliant Fibers on Tissue Oxygenation

Adequate blood supply is necessary for many physiologic processes. However, there are few valid, reproducible, non-invasive methods with which to assess it. One such measure is transcutaneous partial pressure of oxygen (tcPO2). This measurement is a non-invasive method of measuring oxygen tension at the skin surface; represents the amount of oxygen diffusing outward across the skin; and can be used as a surrogate for arterial perfusion. This method is reproducible with clinically acceptable intrasubject variability; is used for a variety of conditions, including peripheral vascular disease evaluation, predicting the outcome of patients requiring amputation and survival of skin grafts; and correlates well to angiography and increases in blood flow rates. However, tcPO2 is affected by many variables, including oxygen concentration in inspired air, lung function and hemoglobin saturation, as well as local factors, such as skin thickness, sympathetic tone, the presence of inflammation, capillary formation and skin oxygen consumption.