Optical sensing for real-time blood monitoring in extracorporeal circulation: Performance assessment of a biocompatible sensor and off-label investigation of a commercial device

Authors

  • Alessia Gallerani Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia
  • Marco Muzzarelli Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia
  • Alberto Ferrari Science & Technology Park for Medicine, TPM, Mirandola, Modena, Italy.
  • Stefano Cattini Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia
  • Luigi Rovati Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21014/actaimeko.v15i2.2263

Keywords:

Blood pCO2, biomedical monitoring, biomedical measurement, optical sensors, hemodialysis, extracorporeal circulation (ECC), extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), extracorporeal carbon dioxide removal (ECCO2R), heart lung machine, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)

Abstract

Continuous monitoring of blood pCO2 is critical during extracorporeal circulation (ECC) to support clinical decision-making. This study aims to describe and investigate a new, low-cost, disposable fluorescent pCO2 sensor, namely MS2. The performance of MS2 is analysed by comparison with a blood gas analyzer. A significant challenge in developing sensors for in vivo applications is ensuring biocompatibility. In the MS2 sensor, biocompatibility is ensured by using a medical-grade gas-permeable membrane that isolates the sensing chemistry from the patient’s blood. The study also investigates the performance of a commercial optical pCO2 sensor, the PreSens MCR-O1P1C1, which is not approved for use with blood. The aim is to assess the feasibility of employing the PreSens MCR-O1P1C1 for blood monitoring in scenarios where biocompatibility is not a prerequisite, such as in the development stages of biomedical devices that require ex vivo blood testing.
The results obtained during a 6.5-hour test with bovine blood demonstrate that both measuring systems can provide valid support for monitoring pCO2 in blood. However, despite its excellent response times, the off-label application of the PreSens MCR-O1P1C1 necessitates an adjustment of the measuring system to prevent significant measurement errors. Thus, these results position MS2 as a promising solution for real-time, in-line blood gas monitoring in ECC procedures.

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Published

2026-06-28

Issue

Vol. 15 No. 2 (2026)

Section

Research Papers

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Alessia Gallerani, Marco Muzzarelli, Alberto Ferrari, Stefano Cattini, Luigi Rovati

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