Summary & Overview
CPT 0061U: Transcutaneous Multispectral Tissue Oxygenation Imaging
CPT code 0061U identifies a Proprietary Laboratory Analyses (PLA) test for transcutaneous multispectral measurement of five biomarkers of tissue oxygenation and hemoglobin using the Ox–Imager CS® spatial frequency domain imaging (SFDI) system. The code captures a noninvasive imaging-based diagnostic that assesses superficial tissue oxygenation, a key determinant of tissue health and wound healing, and thus has clinical importance in wound care, vascular assessment, and perioperative risk evaluation. Nationally, this PLA code represents an emerging, manufacturer-specific diagnostic technology with implications for clinical decision-making and coverage policies.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of the clinical context for the test, payer coverage considerations, and common billing elements such as applicable modifiers. The publication summarizes benchmarks where available, highlights relevant policy issues for a proprietary laboratory test, and provides operational details for coding and site-of-service expectations. Data not available in the input is noted where payer-specific coverage determinations, taxonomies, ICD-10 mappings, and related codes are not provided.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 0061U is a Proprietary Laboratory Analyses (PLA) code for the transcutaneous multispectral measurement of five biomarkers of tissue oxygenation and hemoglobin using Ox–Imager CS®, Modulated Imaging’s spatial frequency domain imaging (SFDI) and multispectral analysis system. The procedure provides a noninvasive, surface-level assessment of tissue oxygenation to help identify superficial circulatory compromise and inform clinical evaluation of tissue health and healing.
Service type: Diagnostic laboratory imaging test (noninvasive multispectral tissue oxygenation measurement)
Typical site of service: Outpatient clinics, wound care centers, dermatology practices, vascular clinics, and other ambulatory care settings where noninvasive tissue oxygenation assessment is performed
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 68-year-old patient with peripheral arterial disease and a history of non-healing plantar foot ulcer presents to a vascular clinic for assessment of tissue perfusion to guide wound management. The vascular specialist orders a transcutaneous multispectral measurement using the Ox–Imager CS® SFDI multispectral analysis system to quantify superficial tissue oxygenation and hemoglobin content across the wound bed and periwound tissues. The test is performed in an outpatient vascular laboratory or wound care center with the patient in a supine or seated position; the technician calibrates the device, acquires multispectral images of the affected foot, and the system derives five biomarkers of tissue oxygenation and hemoglobin. Results are reviewed by the vascular specialist during the same visit to assess risk of ischemia, stratify need for revascularization or advanced wound therapies, and document baseline perfusion for serial monitoring.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | When only the physician interpretation/report is billed separate from the technical component |
TC | Technical component | When only the device/equipment and technician services are billed |