A blood flow measurement system for measuring blood flow within the gastrointestinal tract is provided including a catheter, a processor, and measurement software. The catheter has an expandable member disposed near its distal end and an optical sensor disposed adjacent to the expandable member. The optical sensor is configured to generate a signal indicative of blood flow within the gastrointestinal tract. The processor is configured to control the optical sensor, to receive the signal, and to transmit the signal to the measurement software for measuring blood flow.