PFI-TT: Wearable Noninvasive Brain Imaging with Near-Infrared Light Based on Time-Domain Diffuse Optical Tomography

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this Partnerships for Innovation – Technology Translation (PFI-TT) project is to improve clinical outcomes in neurology through a wearable device. Many studies of the brain require measuring blood flow, but it is difficult to measure deep within the brain. This project will develop an imaging system that addresses this concern. This device will impact both research and clinical applications for improved diagnosis and treatment of neurological conditions. The proposed project will develop new wearable device for time-domain diffuse optical tomography (TD-DOT). TD-DOT relies on two critical pieces of hardware: short laser pulses (30 ps), and time-gated single-photon avalanche detectors (SPADs) with fine timing resolution (50 ps). Currently available TD-DOT hardware is too large for a wearable system and supports only a small number of such detectors, which limits the ability to perform optical tomography. The proposal aims at creating the first wearable, high-density array of time-resolved single photon detectors and combine this new hardware with advanced image processing algorithms to further improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The result will be the first real-time functional brain imaging system that delivers fMRI-level performance within a wearable form factor.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.