Hannover 2010 – scientific programme
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Q: Fachverband Quantenoptik und Photonik
Q 41: Ultrashort Laser Pulses: Applications III
Q 41.2: Talk
Wednesday, March 10, 2010, 16:45–17:00, F 342
Determining total hemoglobin mass by means of 13CO breath analysis — •Marcus Sowa and Peter Hering — Institut für Lasermedizin, Universitätsklinikum Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf
The aim of our investigations is the development of a non-invasive method for the determination of the total hemoglobin mass in the human body by means of Cavity Leak-Out Spectroscopy (CALOS).
The mentioned CALOS system utilizes a CO gas laser in the mid infrared region around 5 µm. This system allows isotopologue selective online measurements of 13CO with a sensitivity of 7 ppb·Hz−1/2.
13CO is a non radioactive isotopologue occurring in a ratio of about 1.1 % of the natural CO composition. CO is commonly known as a highly toxic gas but it is also endogenously produced during heme degradation. About 80 % of this CO is exhaled yielding to CO concentrations between 1 ppm to 4 ppm in healthy humans.
Transportation of CO through the body is established by hemoglobin which has a high affinity towards CO. Because of this fact inhaled CO is taken up by the blood until equilibrium between the alveolar air and the blood is reached.
By determining the exhaled CO concentrations before and after the inhalation of a certain amount of CO a measure for the t-Hb mass can be calculated.
The enormous advantage of the isotopologue measurement is the very small amount of 13CO which can be used for harmless CO inhalation.
All data necessary for calculating the t-Hb mass are obtained from breath measurements making this method non invasive.