Real-time, non-invasive thrombus detection in an extracorporeal circuit using micro-optical thrombus sensors.

Real-time, non-invasive monitoring of thrombus formation in extracorporeal circuits has yet to be achieved. To address the challenges of conventional optical thrombus detection methods requiring large devices that limit detection capacity, we developed a micro-optical thrombus sensor. The proposed micro-optical thrombus sensor can detect the intensity of light scattered by blood at wavelengths of 660 and 855 nm. Two thrombus sensors were installed on in vitro circuit: one at the rotary blood pump and one at a flow channel. To evaluate the variation in the ratio of incident light intensity at each wavelength of the two sensors, In all three thrombus detection tests, Thrombus detection in an extracorporeal circuit using the developed micro-optical sensors was successfully demonstrated in an in vitro test.