A COMBINATION OF MICROENDOSCOPY AND SPECTROPHOTOMETRY ALLOWING REAL-TIME ANALYSIS OF MICROCIRCULATORY PARAMETERS DURING IN-VIVO OBSERVATIONS

A combination of microendoscopy (which is a modification of endoscopy with fine rigid endoscopes) and spectrophotometry (which analyses on l ine the remission spectra from the endoscopic picture) is presented. T his setup allows the endoscopic in vivo observation of haemodynamics a s well as simultaneous on line determination of intravascular haemoglo bin oxygenation. Furthermore, the clearance of intravasally applied tr acers can be analysed. Application, results and further evaluation of this new technique are demonstrated in the retinal vessels of the albi no rabbit.