Measurement Of Blood Oxygen Saturation Research Articles

Feasibility of using intermittent active monitoring of vital signs by smartphone users to predict SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity

Early detection of highly infectious respiratory diseases, such as COVID-19, can help curb their transmission. Consequently, there is demand for easy-to-use population-based screening tools, such as mobile health applications. Here, we describe a proof-of-concept development of a machine learning classifier for the prediction of a symptomatic respiratory disease, such as COVID-19, using smartphone-collected vital sign measurements. The Fenland App study followed 2199 UK participants that provided measurements of blood oxygen saturation, body temperature, and resting heart rate. Total of 77 positive and 6339 negative SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests were recorded. An optimal classifier to identify these positive cases was selected using an automated hyperparameter optimisation. The optimised model achieved an ROC AUC of 0.695 ± 0.045. The data collection window for determining each participant’s vital sign baseline was increased from 4 to 8 or 12 weeks with no significant difference in model performance (F(2) = 0.80, p = 0.472). We demonstrate that 4 weeks of intermittently collected vital sign measurements could be used to predict SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity, with applicability to other diseases causing similar vital sign changes. This is the first example of an accessible, smartphone-based remote monitoring tool deployable in a public health setting to screen for potential infections.

1400-P: Low Blood Oxygen Saturation Is Associated with Impaired Glucose Control in Diabetes

Low Blood Oxygen Saturation (BOS) is associated with increased overall morbidity / mortality and prevalence of diabetes is known to increase with altitude (lower 02 partial pressure). Individuals with complicated diabetes commonly have low blood oxygen saturation compared with nondiabetic patients. To unravel the link between low BOS and glucose metabolism, we investigated the correlation between BOS and glucose, BOS and HbA1c levels, BOS and VO2 consumption (Resting Energy Expenditure) in a cohort of adults with diabetes mellitus. The study included 1362 adults with diabetes (616 F, 746 M; 66.4 ± 14.2 years, range 18-85 years; BMI 27.6 ± 5.0 kg/m2, range 18-49.6 kg/m2; SpO2 97.2 ± 1.4%, range 88-100%; glucose 137.7 ± 45.0 mg/dl, range 50.0-323.0 mg/dl). A significant inverse correlation (Pearson) between the glucose (glucometer) and the BOS (pulsoximeter) (p<0.0001*; r = -0.1530). An inverse correlation (Pearson correlation) between the HbA1c levels and the BOS (n=1295; 568 F, 727 M; 67.5 ± 13.1 years, range 18-85 years; BMI 27.8 ± 5.2 kg/m2, range 18-49.8 kg/m2; HbA1c 52.9 ± 13.0, range 25-152 mmol/mol; p<0.0001*; r = -0.1351). In summary, we showed an inverse relationship between oxygen saturation and both glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin levels. Although the exact mechanisms behind lower blood oxygen saturation in diabetes are unknown, we speculate that a reduced pulmonary diffusion capacity as a consequence of pulmonary microvascular damage could play an important role. In conclusion, present preliminary data indicate the routine measurement of BOS along with glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin in the outpatient visit setting of diabetic patients as a biomarker of seriousness of disease. Disclosure L. Luzi: Speaker's Bureau; A. Menarini Diagnostics, Amgen Inc., Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly Alliance. Advisory Panel; Eli Lilly and Company. Speaker's Bureau; Eli Lilly and Company. Research Support; Gelesis. Advisory Panel; Medtronic. Speaker's Bureau; Novo Nordisk, Novartis. C. Macrì: None. A. Ferrulli: None. C.C. Berra: None. C. Romano: None. S. Massarini: None. Funding IRCCS MultiMedica (Ricerca Corrente)

Efforts toward the continuous monitoring of molecular markers of performance.

Technologies supporting the continuous, real-time measurement of blood oxygen saturation and plasma glucose levels have improved our ability to monitor performance status. Our ability to monitor other molecular markers of performance, however, including the hormones known to indicate overtraining and general health, has lagged. That is, although a number of other molecular markers of performance status have been identified, we have struggled to develop viable technologies supporting their real-time monitoring in the body. Here we review biosensor approaches that may support such measurements, as well as the molecules potentially of greatest interest to monitor. Narrative literature review. Literature review. Significant effort has been made to harness the specificity, affinity, and generalizability of biomolecular recognition in a platform technology supporting continuous in vivo molecular measurements. Most biosensor approaches, however, are either not generalizable to most targets, or fail when challenged in the complex environments found in vivo. Electrochemical aptamer-based sensors, in contrast, are the first technology to simultaneously achieve both of these critical attributes. In an effort to illustrate the potential of this platform technology, we both critically review the literature describing it and briefly survey some of the molecular performance markers we believe will prove advantageous to monitor using it. Electrochemical aptamer-based sensors may be the first truly generalizable technology for monitoring specific molecules in situ in the body and how adaptation of the platform to subcutaneous microneedles will enable the real-time monitoring of performance markers via a wearable, minimally invasive device.

Novel Energy Drink Improves Cognitive Function and Mood, without Influencing Myocardial Oxygen Demand or Ventricular Repolarization in Adult Gamers: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Trial

There are limited available data assessing the efficacy of acute energy drink consumption on cognition and gaming performance, nor on cardiovascular safety. Objectives To examine the efficacy of acute consumption of a novel energy drink (C4S) versus placebo for improving cognitive and gaming performance and mood. Secondarily, we examined the cardiovascular safety profile of acute C4S consumption. Methods Forty-five healthy, young adult video gamers completed two experimental visits in randomized order where they consumed either C4S or a placebo and then completed a validated battery of neurocognitive tests, played five video games, and completed a mood state survey. Blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR), oxygen saturation, and electrocardiogram measurements were taken at baseline and repeated throughout each visit. Results Acute consumption of C4S improved cognitive flexibility (absolute mean or median difference [95% CI] = +4.3 [2.2–6.4]; p < 0.001; d = 0.63), executive function (+4.3 [2.3–6.3]; p < 0.001; d = 0.63), sustained attention (+2.1 [0.6–3.6]; p = 0.01; d = 0.44), motor speed (+2.9 [0.8–4.9]; p < 0.001; d = 0.44), psychomotor speed (+3.9 [0.1–7.7]; p = 0.04; d = 0.32) working memory (+1.0 [0.1–1.9]; p = 0.02; d = 0.35), and performance in the two-dimensional visuospatial game Tetris (+463 [-419–2,065] pts; p = 0.049; d = 0.30) compared to placebo. C4S also improved Fatigue-Inertia (-1 [-3–0]; p = 0.004; d = 0.45), Vigor-Activity (+2.4 [1.3–3.6]; p < 0.001; d = 0.64), Friendliness (+0 [0–1]; p = 0.04; d = 0.32), and Total Mood Disturbance (-3 [-6–0]; p = 0.002; d = 0.44). BP increased slightly in C4S versus placebo, while HR decreased from baseline to post-drink in the C4S condition. Rate-pressure-product was higher in C4S versus placebo independent of time but did not increase from baseline. There was no effect on corrected QT interval. Conclusion Acute consumption of C4S was efficacious for cognitive performance, visuospatial gaming performance, and mood enhancement, and had no effect on myocardial oxygen demand or ventricular repolarization, despite being associated with increases in BP.

Pulse Oximetry Imaging System Using Spatially Uniform Dual Wavelength Illumination.

Pulse oximetry is a non-invasive method for measuring blood oxygen saturation. However, its detection scheme heavily relies on single-point measurements. If the oxygen saturation is measured at a single location, the measurements are influenced by the profile of illumination, spatial variations in blood flow, and skin pigment. To overcome these issues, imaging systems that measure the distribution of oxygen saturation have been demonstrated. However, previous imaging systems have relied on red and near-infrared illuminations with different profiles, resulting in inconsistent ratios between transmitted red and near-infrared light over space. Such inconsistent ratios can introduce fundamental errors when calculating the spatial distribution of oxygen saturation. In this study, we developed a novel illumination system specifically designed for a pulse oximetry imaging system. For the illumination system, we customized the integrating sphere by coating a mixture of barium sulfate and white paint inside it and by coupling eight red and eight near-infrared LEDs. The illumination system created identical patterns of red and near-infrared illuminations that were spatially uniform. This allowed the ratio between transmitted red and near-infrared light to be consistent over space, enabling the calculation of the spatial distribution of oxygen saturation. We believe our developed pulse oximetry imaging system can be used to obtain spatial information on blood oxygen saturation that provides insight into the oxygenation of the blood contained within the peripheral region of the tissue.

Motor Vehicle Driver Monitoring System to Prevent Traffic Accident

Traffic accident data shows an upward trend. One of the contributing factors is the condition of the driver who is tired or sleepy due to decreased oxygen saturation in the blood (SpO2). If the oxygen saturation in the blood (SpO2) decreases, the oxygen supply to the brain also decreases, which causes the driver to feel tired or sleepy, even to shortness of breath. By using a pulse oximeter sensor mounted on the wrist, oxygen saturation in the blood (SpO2) can be detected. The results of the sensor readings are then sent using blue tooth technology to the microcontroller and displayed on the monitor. If the driver is tired or sleepy, there will be a warning that the driver should take a rest immediately. Based on the results of trials that have been carried out, the average error in measuring blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) is 0.52%.

PPG Signal and application in the medical field

The ascent of remote health examination is a burgeoning trend in healthcare, aimed at tackling the challenge of hospital overload and streamlining the process of patient monitoring. To achieve these laudable goals, a device that is both efficient and capable of extracting critical health indicators is of paramount importance. Enter photoplethysmography (PPG) technology - a compact and user-friendly device that offers a wealth of health-related information. PPG is an optical, non-invasive method of measuring changes in blood volume in tissue by illuminating the skin and detecting variations in light absorption caused by blood flow. This technique has a multitude of applications, including the measurement of blood oxygen saturation, the estimation of blood pressure, the assessment of vascular aging, and the detection of arrhythmias. Therefore, it presents a promising avenue in addressing the challenge of hospital overload. This article provides an all-encompassing overview of photoplethysmography (PPG) technology, elucidating the underlying principles and highlighting its noteworthy applications. Specifically, the article expounds on the use of PPG in measuring blood oxygen saturation, estimating blood pressure, assessing vascular aging, and detecting arrhythmias. Despite the advantageous applications of PPG, there are still some issues that need to be addressed, such as the limited availability of PPG data sets in certain populations, the sensitivity of PPG signal to motion and ambient conditions, and a lack of clarity about the nature of PPG which leads to the absence of standard criteria in sampling and interpretation of PPG in its applications. And these issues are also thoroughly discussed in the paper.

Design and Implementation of a Healthcare Monitoring System Based on LoRa

For humans to survive, scientific and technological advancements must be able to contribute to the solution of human medical issues. The design and implementation of a monitoring system for the measurement of blood oxygen saturation, heart rate, and body temperature have been combined into one tool in this study. The measurement results are shown both on the measuring instrument's OLED display and a remote monitoring system's LCD display. This instrument uses ESP32 as a Microcontroller and LoRa as a wireless communication technique. The MLX90614 sensor is used to detect body temperature, while the MAX30100 sensor is used to monitor blood oxygen saturation and heart rate. Testing Measurements are calibrated using instruments that meet industrial standards (Wincom infrared thermometer and GE patient monitor) used in the hospital. When compared to industry-standard instruments, the tool's accuracy is 98.18% for measurements of blood oxygen saturation, 96.54 % for measurements of heart rate, and 98.78 % for measurements of body temperature. The instrument's total accuracy, calculated as the average of all three factors, was 97.63 %. If the abnormalities in the recorded parameters are detected, then an alert will be triggered (buzzer and blinking LED). this instrument can help the patients to check their health status and provide remote monitoring of health providers.

A Study on LoRa SX1276 Performance in IoT Health Monitoring

The Internet of Things (IoT) for healthcare can improve patient monitoring more effectively, especially since the occurrence of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) disease in 2019. Integrating sensors with long range (LoRa) technology, which provides long-range, low-power, and secure data transmission, can ensure better patient treatment and disease surveillance. This study is aimed at evaluating and understanding the LoRa performance as the wireless platform in IoT health monitoring. The MH-ET Live MAX30102 sensor is used to measure blood oxygen saturation and pulse rate, while TTGO LoRa32 SX1276 is used as the wireless platform. Results show that to obtain accurate readings from the sensor, users must be in rested condition, place their fingertip onto the sensor properly for a few moments without any movement, and use the body part of the fingertip only. In outdoor environment tests in the suburban area, the LoRa SX1276 transceiver’s performance for the line-of-sight (LoS) transmission shows that the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and RSSI recorded at 1300-meter distance are -6.5 dB and -118 dBm, respectively. Non-line-of-sight (NLoS) test shows that LoRa still communicates with each other after eight blocks of houses with an approximate displacement of 240 meters apart between the modules, with RSSI and SNR values of -113 dBm and -5.42 dB, respectively. The analysis using LoRa Modem Calculator Tool proved the theoretical performances and effectiveness of LoRa communications.

Multimodal Finger Pulse Wave Sensing: Comparison of Forcecardiography and Photoplethysmography Sensors.

Pulse waves (PWs) are mechanical waves that propagate from the ventricles through the whole vascular system as brisk enlargements of the blood vessels’ lumens, caused by sudden increases in local blood pressure. Photoplethysmography (PPG) is one of the most widespread techniques employed for PW sensing due to its ability to measure blood oxygen saturation. Other sensors and techniques have been proposed to record PWs, and include applanation tonometers, piezoelectric sensors, force sensors of different kinds, and accelerometers. The performances of these sensors have been analyzed individually, and their results have been found not to be in good agreement (e.g., in terms of PW morphology and the physiological parameters extracted). Such a comparison has led to a deeper comprehension of their strengths and weaknesses, and ultimately, to the consideration that a multimodal approach accomplished via sensor fusion would lead to a more robust, reliable, and potentially more informative methodology for PW monitoring. However, apart from various multichannel and multi-site systems proposed in the literature, no true multimodal sensors for PW recording have been proposed yet that acquire PW signals simultaneously from the same measurement site. In this study, a true multimodal PW sensor is presented, which was obtained by integrating a piezoelectric forcecardiography (FCG) sensor and a PPG sensor, thus enabling simultaneous mechanical–optical measurements of PWs from the same site on the body. The novel sensor performance was assessed by measuring the finger PWs of five healthy subjects at rest. The preliminary results of this study showed, for the first time, that a delay exists between the PWs recorded simultaneously by the PPG and FCG sensors. Despite such a delay, the pulse waveforms acquired by the PPG and FCG sensors, along with their first and second derivatives, had very high normalized cross-correlation indices in excess of 0.98. Six well-established morphological parameters of the PWs were compared via linear regression, correlation, and Bland–Altman analyses, which showed that some of these parameters were not in good agreement for all subjects. The preliminary results of this proof-of-concept study must be confirmed in a much larger cohort of subjects. Further investigation is also necessary to shed light on the physical origin of the observed delay between optical and mechanical PW signals. This research paves the way for the development of true multimodal, wearable, integrated sensors and for potential sensor fusion approaches to improve the performance of PW monitoring at various body sites.

Proof-of-Concept Study for Reflectance Pulse Oximetry Using Optical-Fibre-Based Sensors

Abstract Optical fibres enable to design of new textile-based sensors for an unobtrusive, continuous, and long-term acquisition of photoplethysmography (PPG) signals. However, no research has been done about the accuracy of measuring blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) and the feasibility of PPG-based blood pressure measurement. This proof-ofconcept study examined these aspects for a woven sensing patch applied on the forehead in five healthy participants. During a controlled desaturation study, SpO2 estimation revealed an amplitude of the root-mean-squared error (ARMS) of 3.6%, and acceptable signal quality for blood pressure estimation was achieved for 40% of all data. These results indicate that textile-based sensors can reach the required PPG signal quality to simultaneously estimate multiple vital signs, including blood pressure.

Single-wavelength, single-shot pulse oximetry using an LED-generated vector beam.

Photoplethysmography (PPG) is an optical technique that monitors blood oxygen saturation levels, typically with the use of pulse oximeters. Conventional pulse oximetry estimates the ratio of light absorbed at two wavelengths. Attempts have been made to improve the precision of these measurements by using polarized light, with the tradeoff of requiring multiple sequential measurements. We demonstrate a novel PPG technique that uses radially polarized light generated by a light-emitting diode (LED) to obtain single-shot, blood oxygen-saturation measurements using a single wavelength at a rate of 50 fps. Our work, to the best of our knowledge, presents both a novel use of a vector beam and a first demonstration of vector-beam generation using LEDs.

Evaluation of a New Smartphone Powered Low-cost Pulse Oximeter Device.

Measurement of blood oxygen saturation is a vital part of monitoring coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) patients. Pulse oximetry is commonly used to measure blood oxygen saturation and pulse rate for appropriate clinical intervention. But the majority of direct-to-consumer grade pulse oximeters did not pass through in-vivo testing, which results in their accuracy being questionable. Besides this, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic exposed the limitations of the device in resource limited areas since independent monitoring is needed for COVID-19 patients. The purpose of this study was to perform an in-vivo evaluation of a newly developed smartphone powered low-cost pulse oximeter. The new prototype of a smartphone powered pulse oximeter was evaluated against the standard pulse oximeter by taking measurements from fifteen healthy volunteers. The accuracy of measurement was evaluated by calculating the percentage error and standard deviation. A repeatability and reproducibility test were carried out using the ANOVA method. The average accuracy for measuring spot oxygen saturation (SPO2) and pulse rate (PR) was 99.18% with a standard deviation of 0.57 and 98.78% with a standard deviation of 0.61, respectively, when compared with the standard pulse oximeter device. The repeatability and reproducibility of SPO2 measurements were 0.28 and 0.86, respectively, which is in the acceptable range. The new prototype of smartphone powered pulse oximeter demonstrated better performance compared to the existing low-cost fingertip pulse oximeters. The device could be used for independent monitoring of COVID-19 patients at health institutions and also for home care.

A Wearable Prefrontal Cortex Oxygen Saturation Measurement System Based on Near Infrared Spectroscopy

The measurement of blood oxygen saturation in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), especially during sleep, is of great significance for clinical research. Herein, we present a wearable PFC oxygen saturation measurement system using dual-wavelength functional near-infrared spectroscopy. The system is well designed for user-friendly donning and has the advantages of comfort, convenience, portability, and affordability. The performance of the proposed system is investigated by the calibration and experimental results. The wearable system has demonstrated great potential to conduct the physiological monitoring of PFC, and it can be widely deployed in daily life.

Broadband High-Frequency Ultrasonic Transducer Based Functional Photoacoustic Mesoscopy for Psoriasis Progression.

In vivo imaging of skin is commonly used to investigate dynamic processes in the progression and treatment of psoriasis. Photoacoustic mesoscopy is a new non-invasive imaging modality widely used in bio-imaging, and has recently been applied to imaging skin in vivo. However, photoacoustic imaging has shortcomings. Although high-frequency ultrasonic transducers enable high-resolution photoacoustic imaging, the images may be bandwidth-limited. To overcome this limitation, we designed and fabricated a broadband ultrasonic transducer for photoacoustic mesoscopy. The center frequency of the transducer was 32 MHz (88% bandwidth at -6 dB). The transducer was used to visualize mouse and human skin morphology. Colocalization of high- and low-frequency components revealed information about both the skin surface and dermis. To explore dynamic structural changes in mouse back skin during psoriasis progression, we measured blood oxygen saturation and total hemoglobin in a mouse model using multiwavelength imaging without contrast agents. The results indicate that functional photoacoustic mesoscopy using a broadband high-frequency transducer has great potential for clinical imaging of skin disease.

Development of Low-Cost and Portable Pulse Oximeter Device with Improved Accuracy and Accessibility

PurposeIn a clinical setting, blood oxygen saturation is one of the most important vital sign indicators. A pulse oximeter is a device that measures the blood oxygen saturation and pulse rate of patients with various disorders. However, due to ethical concerns, commercially available pulse oximeters are limited in terms of calibration on critically sick patients, resulting in a significant error rate for measurement in the critical oxygen saturation range. The device’s accessibility in developing countries’ healthcare settings is also limited due to portability, cost implications, and a lack of recognized need. The purpose of this study was to develop a reliable, low-cost, and portable pulse oximeter device with improved accuracy in the critical oxygen saturation range.MethodsThe proposed device measures oxygen saturation and heart rate using the reflectance approach. The rechargeable battery and power supply from the smartphone were taken into account, and the calibration in critical oxygen saturation values was performed using Prosim 8 vital sign simulator, and by comparing with a standard pulse oximeter device over fifteen iterations.ResultsThe device’s prototype was successfully developed and tested. Oxygen saturation and heart rate readings were both accurate to 97.74% and 97.37%, respectively, compared with the simulator, and an accuracy of 98.54% for the measurement of blood oxygen saturation was obtained compared with the standard device.ConclusionThe accuracy of oxygen measurement attained in this study is significant for measuring oxygen saturation for patients in critical care, anesthesia, pre-operative and post-operative surgery, and COVID-19 patients. The advancements made in this research have the potential to increase the accessibility of pulse oximeter in resource limited areas.

This Month in Anesthesiology

This Month in Anesthesiology

Continuous blood oxygen estimation using PPG based on VMD

Existing photoplethysmography(PPG) signal is extremely susceptible to interference from baseline drift, and the training interval of traditional algorithms is basically fixed between 80% and 100%, which leads to the low accuracy of blood oxygen detection, especially in patients with severe hypoxemia. Based on the PPG acquisition system developed by ourselves, we use moving average filtering and variable mode decomposition(VMD) to remove high-frequency and baseline drift interference, and use the 30%-100% SpO2 data interval of the Fluke ProSim8 vital signs simulator as the SpO2 algorithm guarantee. Finally, the paper proposed a continuous blood oxygen saturation measurement algorithm based on VMD. The final experimental results show that in the five types of patient data of the simulator, high-precision measurement can be ensured in the normal SpO2 range and in the low SpO2 or even ultra-low SpO2 range; at the same time, the sensitivity of the algorithm to SpO2 is better than that of the reference oximeter. The response speed is faster; finally, in the process of detecting simulated apnea, compared with the reference oximeter, the error of the blood oxygen saturation in the stable interval is ±1, the error of the lowest SpO2 is ±3, and the calculated consistency of the blood oxygen reduction duration reaches 89.10%.

Assessment of progranulin and FAM19A5 protein blood levels in patients with metabolic syndrome.

Progranulin and family with sequence similarity 19, member A5 (FAM19A5) protein are adipokines with growing importance in the context of metabolic diseases. The study aimed to determine the serum concentration of progranulin and FAM19A5 in people with metabolic syndrome (MS) compared to those without MS. The concentration of progranulin and FAM19A5 was determined in 45 people with MS (group A) and in 35 healthy people without MS (group B). Body composition analysis, blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation and anthropometric measurements were performed. There were no differences in the blood levels of progranulin and FAM19A5 between the groups. In group A, the level of progranulin was 29.25±36.92 pg/ml and in group B it was 46.00±60.12pg/ml (p=0.2693). The level of FAM19A5 was 163.16±55.11 pg/ml and 197.57±112.89 pg/ml (p=0.1341) in subjects with and without metabolic syndrome, respectively. In group A, there was a correlation between FAM19A5 and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) (R= -0.40) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level (R= -0.37). In group B, correlations were found between progranulin and waist circumference (R= -0.43) and progranulin and triglyceride (TG) levels (R= -0.42). Both groups together showed correlations between progranulin level and body mass index (R= -0.24), HDL (R=0.25) and TG levels (R= -0.25) and between FAM19A5 level and DBP (R= -0.34). In conclusion, patients with and without MS do not differ in the range of progranulin and FAM19A5 serum levels. In patients with MS, elevated FAM19A5 serum levels may be an indicator of dyslipidaemia development. FAM19A5 appears to be a better predictor of MS than progranulin.

Noninvasive Dual-Modality Photoacoustic-Ultrasonic Imaging to Detect Mammalian Embryo Abnormalities after Prenatal Exposure to Methylmercury Chloride (MMC): A Mouse Study.

Background:Severe environmental pollution and contaminants left in the environment due to the abuse of chemicals, such as methylmercury, are associated with an increasing number of embryonic disorders. Ultrasound imaging has been widely used to investigate embryonic development malformation and dysorganoplasia in both research and clinics. However, this technique is limited by its low contrast and lacking functional parameters such as the ability to measure blood oxygen saturation () and hemoglobin content (HbT) in tissues, measures that could be early vital indicators for embryonic development abnormality. Herein, we proposed combining two highly complementary techniques into a photoacoustic-ultrasound (PA-US) dual-modality imaging approach to noninvasively detect early mouse embryo abnormalities caused by methylmercury chloride (MMC) in real time.Objectives:This study aimed to assess the use of PA-US dual-modality imaging for noninvasive detection of embryonic toxicity at different stages of growth following prenatal MMC exposure. Additionally, we compared the PA-US imagining results to traditional histological methods to determine whether this noninvasive method could detect early developmental defects in utero.Methods:Different dosages of MMC were administrated to pregnant mice by gavage to establish models of different levels of embryonic malformation. Ultrasound, photoacoustic signal intensity (PSI), blood oxygen saturation (), and hemoglobin content (HbT) were quantified in all experimental groups. Furthermore, the embryos were sectioned and examined for pathological changes.Results:Using PA-US imaging, we detected differences in PSI, , HbT, and heart volume at embryonic day (E)14.5 and E11.5 for low and high dosages of MMC, respectively. More important, our results showed that differences between control and treated embryos identified by in utero PA-US imaging were consistent with those identified in ex vivo embryos using histological methods.Conclusion:Our results suggest that noninvasive dual-modality PA-US is a promising strategy for detecting developmental toxicology in the uterus. Overall, this study presents a new approach for detecting embryonic toxicities, which could be crucial in clinics when diagnosing aberrant embryonic development. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP8907