Patent ID: 7657293

Claim:
A method for assessing viability of flap tissue, the method comprising: placing a sensor head of an optical imaging system in contact with the flap tissue at a first location, wherein the sensor head causes light to be reflected off of the flap tissue to identify an oxygen saturation level; obtaining the oxygen saturation level associated with the first location on the flap tissue; determining whether the oxygen saturation level is less than a first level; and identifying the first location as having a poor blood supply if it is determined that the oxygen saturation level is less than the first level, wherein the optical imaging system comprises: a probe comprising: a connection interface, the connection interface being adapted to allow the probe to be coupled to a plurality of light sources and at least one photodetector, wherein the light sources and the photodetector are external to the probe; and the sensor head comprising a first source fiber, a second source fiber, and a first detector fiber, the first source fiber and the second source fiber being arranged to be coupled to the plurality of light sources via the connection interface, and the first detector fiber being arranged to be coupled to the photodetector via the connection interface; and a beam combiner, external to the probe, coupled to the first source fiber and the plurality of light sources via the connection interface.