The refractive index of human blood measured at the visible spectral region by single-fiber reflectance spectroscopy

• Main Author: Mohamed A. Elblbesy
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: AIMS Press 2021-03-01
• Series: AIMS Biophysics
• Subjects: refractive index; visible spectra; anemia; blood
• Online Access: http://www.aimspress.com/article/doi/10.3934/biophy.2021004?viewType=HTML

The refractive index is an essential biophysical parameter used in many diagnostic and therapeutic biomedical applications. In the present study, the refractive index of control and anemic blood was measured using the total internal reflection fiber optics technique. For control, the refractive index measured by the indicated method was significantly higher than anemic blood over the wavelengths in the visible spectral region used in this study. Strong linear correlations between refractive index and hemoglobin concentration were obtained for control and anemic blood. These findings could enhance the use of the refractive index in many applications of blood analysis and hematology.