As COVID-19 spreads worldwide, the surge in patients requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission has been overwhelming to the healthcare systems. Critical care triage to allow the rationing of scarce ICU resources is needed but is hindered due to a lack of personalization. The management of acute respiratory failure and hemodynamics is critical in the ICU. In fact, of the sixty-eight million COVID-19 cases worldwide (December 2020), 3-12% required mechanical ventilation, which forms the primary target of our project.
The core technologies of the VASCOVID project are based on near-infrared light which penetrates deep (>1 cm) into the tissues and returns important clinical information. In particular, we will use time-resolved near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS). They will allow us to measure microvascular blood oxygen saturation, blood volume and blood flow and estimate oxygen metabolism. By combining these methods with a vascular occlusion test induced by sustained arterial occlusion of the palm, we will evaluate the functioning of the microvasculature and the endothelium.
