Publication Date

2023

Document Type

Dissertation

Committee Members

Ulas Sunar, Ph.D. (Advisor); Tarun Goswami, Ph.D. (Committee Member); Keiichiro Susuki, Ph.D. (Committee Member); Robert Lober, M.D., Ph.D. (Committee Member)

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Abstract

Blood flow dynamics plays a critical role in maintaining tissue health, as it delivers nutrients and oxygen while removing waste products. It is especially important when there is a disruption in cerebral autoregulation due to trauma, which can induce ischemia or hyperemia and can lead to secondary brain injury. Thus, there is a need for noninvasive techniques that can allow continuous monitoring of blood flow during intervention. Optical techniques have become increasingly practical for measuring blood flow due to their non-invasive, continuous, and relatively lower-cost nature. This research focused on developing a low-cost, scalable optical technique for measuring blood flow by implementing speckle contrast optical spectroscopy using a fiber-camera-based approach. This technique is particularly well-suited for measuring blood flow in deep tissues, such as the brain, which is challenging to access using traditional optical methods. A two-channel continuous wave speckle contrast optical spectroscopy device was developed, and the device was rigorously tested using phantoms. Then, it is applied to monitor blood flow changes in the brain following traumatic brain injury (TBI) in mice. The results indicate that trauma-induced significant blood flow decreases consistent with the recent literature. Overall, this approach provides noninvasive continuous measurements of blood flow in preclinical models such as traumatic brain injury.

Page Count

79

Department or Program

Ph.D. in Engineering

Year Degree Awarded

2023

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