Instrument Development

New methods require the development of new instruments, which includes:

• optics design / optical ray tracing
• optoelectronics
• data acquisition hardware and software
• software for instrument control
• software for data evaluation
• and intensive testing of the underlying algorithms

Examples of the recent instruments are given below:

Blood Flow and Haemoglobin Monitor based on combined Laser - Doppler and Reflectance Spectroscopy:

Reflectance spectroscopy in the visible wavelength range is combined with laser - Doppler spectroscopy in a unit for the monitoring of haemoglobin concentration and blood flow. Different fiber sensors allow the evaluation of e.g. skin or brain tissue. The method is limited to tissue depths of 1 – 2 mm.

Example data can be found on the sections NIR Spectroscopy of Brain, Imaging of the Exposed Brain and Spectroscopy of Muscle and Skin.

NIR Haemoglobin Imager:

A multi-channel near-infrared spectroscopy is designed for the mapping of haemoglobin changes in deep tissues like human brain or muscle. The system combines 8 detector channels and 16 – 24 laser sources, with optical fibers arranged in a grid which can be combined e.g. with EEG recordings.

Example data can be found in the sections NIR Spectroscopy of Brain and Spectroscopy of Muscle and Skin.

 

Brain Imaging System for the Exposed Cortex:

Over the last years we developed a dedicated imaging system for the mapping of the exposed cortex. The simultaneously use of reflectance spectroscopy and laser-speckle imaging is exploited for haemoglobin and blood flow imaging.

 

Broad-Band Spatially-Resolved Spectroscopy based on a Lens Spectrometer:

Shown is the broad-band system designed for spatially-resolved spectroscopy of brain and muscle. Limits in the allowed power density of the tissue required the design of a high-throughput imaging spectrometer. Due to its boxed design the system can be used in clinical environment, e.g. a cardiac operation theatre. Dedicated software is for full control of the system and an online analysis of tissue haemoglobin parameters.

 

Portable Muscle Monitor:

While the above mentioned broadband system is the best choice for a detailed analysis of tissue spectra, its size and weight limits its widespread use. We designed a portable, spatially – resolved system (left figure) dedicated for muscle application in sports and exercise physiology. A commercial version with battery operation and Bluetooth connectivity is designed and marketed by Artinis Medical Systems B.V.