Diagnosing peripheral vascular disease by monitoring oxygen saturation changes during an ischemia phase

1. A method of diagnosing peripheral vascular disease by causing a body part of a patient to experience occlusion, which comprises an ischemia phase, the method comprising:

measuring oxygen saturation in tissue of the patient during the ischemia phase;

analyzing the oxygen saturation in the tissue during the ischemia phase; and

diagnosing the patient as having peripheral vascular disease according to changes in the oxygen saturation in the tissue during the ischemia phase.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the analyzing the oxygen saturation comprises calculating a rate of change of oxygen saturation during the ischemia phase.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the rate of change is calculated at a midpoint of the ischemia phase.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the diagnosing the patient comprises determining if the rate of change crosses a threshold.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the analyzing the oxygen saturation comprises calculating a time for oxygen saturation to reach a specified percentage during the ischemia phase.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the diagnosing the patient comprises determining if the time for oxygen saturation to reach a specified percentage crosses a threshold.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the analyzing the oxygen saturation comprises:

calculating a rate of change of oxygen saturation during the ischemia phase; and

calculating a time for oxygen saturation to reach a specified percentage during the ischemia phase.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the diagnosing the patient comprises determining if the rate of change and the time for oxygen saturation during the ischemia phase cross thresholds.

9. A method of diagnosing peripheral vascular disease by causing a body part of a patient to experience occlusion, which comprises an induced ischemia phase, the method comprising:

measuring oxygen saturation of tissue of the patient during the induced ischemia phase; and

diagnosing the patient as having peripheral vascular disease based on changes in the oxygen saturation of the tissue during the induced ischemia phase.

10. The method of claim 9 comprising:

providing a visual indication of a positive diagnosis of peripheral vascular disease on a display when a measured rate of change in the oxygen saturation during the induced ischemia phase crosses a threshold value.

11. The method of claim 9 comprising

providing a visual indication of a positive diagnosis of peripheral vascular disease on a display when a measured time for the oxygen saturation to crosses a percentage value during the hyperemia phase exceeds a specific time value.

12. The method of claim 9 comprising:

providing a visual indication of a positive diagnosis of peripheral vascular disease on a display when a measured time, from a starting time value to an ending time value, for the oxygen saturation to cross a percentage value exceeds a specific time value, wherein the ending time is within the induced ischemia phase.

13. The method of claim 9 comprising:

providing a visual indication of a positive diagnosis of peripheral vascular disease on a display when a measured time, from a starting time value to an ending time value, for the oxygen saturation to cross a percentage value exceeds a specific time value, wherein the starting time is within the induced ischemia phase.

14. A system for diagnosing peripheral vascular disease comprising:

a probe comprising a first detector input;

a computer, coupled to process signals received via the first detector input, to determine changes in oxygen saturation in tissue of a patient;

a cuff, controllable by the computer and attachable to the patient, wherein the cuff causes a body part of the patient to experience occlusion, which includes an induced ischemia phase; and

a display, coupled to the computer, wherein the computer makes a diagnosis of peripheral vascular disease based on oxygen saturation changes in the tissue during the induced ischemia phase, and the display provides a visual indication of a positive diagnosis of peripheral vascular disease.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the probe comprises a second detector input and a source output, and a first distance between the first detector input and the source output is different from a second distance between the second detector input and the source output.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the probe comprises a second detector input, a first source output, and a second source output, and a first distance between the first detector input and the first source output is different from a second distance between the second detector input and the second source output.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the probe comprises a second detector input, a first source output, and a second source output, and a first distance between the first detector input and the first source output is substantially the same as a second distance between the second detector input and the second source output.

18. A system for diagnosing peripheral vascular disease comprising:

a probe comprising a first detector input;

a computer, coupled to process signals received via the first detector input, to determine changes in oxygen saturation in tissue of a patient and make a diagnosis of peripheral vascular disease based on the oxygen saturation changes during induced ischemia; and

a display, coupled to the computer, to provide a visual indication of a positive diagnosis of peripheral vascular disease,

wherein the diagnosis of peripheral vascular disease is positive when the computer determines a rate of change in the oxygen saturation crosses a threshold value during induced ischemia.

19. A system for diagnosing peripheral vascular disease comprising:

a probe comprising a first detector input;

a computer, coupled to process signals received via the first detector input, to determine changes in oxygen saturation in tissue of a patient and make a diagnosis of peripheral vascular disease based on the oxygen saturation changes during induced ischemia; and

a display, coupled to the computer, to provide a visual indication of a positive diagnosis of peripheral vascular disease,

wherein the diagnosis of peripheral vascular disease is positive when a measured time for the oxygen saturation to cross a percentage value during induced ischemia exceeds a specific time value.

20. A system for diagnosing peripheral vascular disease comprising:

a probe comprising a first detector input;

a computer, coupled to process signals received via the first detector input, to determine changes in oxygen saturation in tissue of a patient and make a diagnosis of peripheral vascular disease based on the oxygen saturation changes during induced ischemia; and

a display, coupled to the computer, to provide a visual indication of a positive diagnosis of peripheral vascular disease,

wherein the diagnosis of peripheral vascular disease is positive when a measured time, from a starting time value to an ending time value, for the oxygen saturation to cross a percentage value exceeds a specific time value, and the ending time is within the induced ischemia phase.

21. A system for diagnosing peripheral vascular disease comprising:

a probe comprising a first detector input;

a computer, coupled to process signals received via the first detector input, to determine changes in oxygen saturation in tissue of a patient and make a diagnosis of peripheral vascular disease based on the oxygen saturation changes during induced ischemia; and

a display, coupled to the computer, to provide a visual indication of a positive diagnosis of peripheral vascular disease,

wherein the diagnosis of peripheral vascular disease is positive when a measured time, from a starting time value to an ending time value, for the oxygen saturation to cross a percentage value exceeds a specific time value, and the starting time is within the induced ischemia phase.