Reliability Evaluation for Continuous-Wave Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Systems: Comprehensive Testing from Bench Characterization to Human Test

Sensors (Basel). 2024 Mar 22;24(7):2045. doi: 10.3390/s24072045.

Abstract

In recent years, biomedical optics technology has developed rapidly. The current widespread use of biomedical optics was made possible by the invention of optical instruments. The advantages of being non-invasive, portable, effective, low cost, and less susceptible to system noise have led to the rapid development of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) technology for hemodynamics detection, especially in the field of functional brain imaging. At the same time, laboratories and companies have developed various fNIRS-based systems. The safety, stability, and efficacy of fNIRS systems are key performance indicators. However, there is still a lack of comprehensive and systematic evaluation methods for fNIRS instruments. This study uses the fNIRS system developed in our laboratory as the test object. The test method established in this study includes system validation and performance testing to comprehensively assess fNIRS systems' reliability. These methods feature low cost and high practicality. Based on this study, existing or newly developed systems can be comprehensively and easily evaluated in the laboratory or workspace.

Keywords: functional near-infrared spectroscopy; optical detection; optical instrument; reliability evaluation.

MeSH terms

  • Biomedical Technology*
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging
  • Humans
  • Laboratories
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared*