In conclusion, NIRS appears to offer both a new monitoring modality and new information about cerebral oxygenation. Technical problems in the application of this technology persist, most notably determination of pathlength and the volume of tissue interrogated. Those familiar with the history of pulse oximetry will recall that although Millikan developed an ear oximeter in 1947, it was not until Aoyagi combined recognition of the pulse signal with spectroscopy in the 1970s that oximetry was transformed into a clinically applicable monitor. In much the same way, NIRS may find the same tremendous usefulness as a noninvasive monitor of cerebral oxygen utilization, pending resolution of the remaining technical problems.