Abstract
Laser Doppler blood flowmeters are versatile instruments intended for the continuous recording of tissue perfusion on the microvascular level in both experimental medicine and in clinical settings. The operating principle of these instruments is described and evaluation of their performance in a flow simulator setup and in in-vivo studies is reported. A linear response of the flowmeter output to flow has been established for perfusion values ranging from zero to 300ml min-1 100g-1. Laser Doppler flowmeters have been used successfully in areas such as pharmacology, dermatology and endoscopy, as well as in plastic and thoracic surgery.
