Optical-fiber laser Doppler velocimeter for high-resolution measurement of pulsatile blood flows

Abstract

A high-resolution laser Doppler velocimeter with an optical-fiber pickup has been developed, and we have succeeded for the first time in measuring velocities of pulsatile blood flows in femoral and coronary arteries of mongrel dogs. The measurements were in real time with 100-microm spatial and 8-msec temporal resolutions, using a 150-m long fiber to reach the animal operation laboratory from the optics laboratory.