Abstract
Carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by the skin during loading is a potential biomarker for the early detection of pressure ulcers (PUs). In this work, a reflection mode optical fibre CO2 sensor (OFCS) was developed for early prediction of PUs formation. The optical fibre tip was coated with thymol blue using a sol‒gel coating process. The highest absorption peak of the OFCS was achieved at a wavelength of approximately 600 nm. The OFCS had response and recovery times of 60 seconds and 413 seconds, respectively, in the range of 0 ppm (0% CO2) to 50000 ppm (5% CO2). The sensor was tested on ten healthy volunteers measuring CO2 emitted from the skin during weight loading to mimic conditions that could lead to tissue breakdown. The CO2 concentration increased during tissue loading indicating local tissue ischemia, a precursor to pressure ulcer formation.
© 2023 The Author(s)
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