Optical functional imaging of brain oxygen

Collaborators at the University of Birmingham (UK) and the University of Washington medical school have developed new means for imaging oxygenation in the brain.  “The technology relies on 32 light sources and 30 light receivers that are placed around the skull of a patient. The sources emit light at 690 and 830 nanometers at various intensities, but in a controlled manner. The light enters the brain tissue, gets scattered, absorbed, and reflected, and the receiver modules measure the phase and intensity of light that reaches them. The different wavelengths of near-infrared light are used in order to provide oxygenation information, since those specific wavelengths have different levels of absorption by oxygenated hemoglobin.”   MORE

Image Credit:  University of Birmingham, University of Washington and MedGadget.com