Buccal mucosa sat probes?

[elizabells, BSN, RN]

At our cardiac care conference this weekend, one of our docs mentioned that we're going to be trialling buccal saturation probes on our cardiacs. She said they can offer a better preductal sat. It's true that it can be hard to get a good sat on the right hand of some of the chubbier cardiacs, but I'm having trouble picturing it. Has anyone used these?

[SteveNNP, MSN, NP]

I thought buccal sat probes were for mixed SvO2 measurements.... did I write it down wrong?

[elizabells, BSN, RN]

According to an article I read after the conference, it's arterial. Apparently it works by reflecting the light frequencies off the capillary bed, as opposed to having a facing sensor, like the ones we use now. This is assuming that the patent application I found is for the same/similar product. It can also be used nasally and in the pharynx. It was invented for burn patients.