Miniaturized pulsed laser source for time-domain diffuse optics routes to wearable devices

作者：Di Sieno Laura^*; Nissinen Jan; Hallman Lauri; Martinenghi Edoardo; Contini Davide; Pifferi Antonio; Kostamovaara Juha; Mora Alberto Dalla

来源：Journal of Biomedical Optics, 2017, 22(8): 085004.

DOI：10.1117/1.JBO.22.8.085004

• picosecond laser
• integrated laser driver
• biomedical optics
• time-domain diffuse optics
• scattering media
• time-correlated single-photon counting

We validate a miniaturized pulsed laser source for use in time-domain (TD) diffuse optics, following rigorous and shared protocols for performance assessment of this class of devices. This compact source (12 x 6 mm(2)) has been previously developed for range finding applications and is able to provide short, high energy (similar to 100 ps, similar to 0.5 nJ) optical pulses at up to 1 MHz repetition rate. Here, we start with a basic level laser characterization with an analysis of suitability of this laser for the diffuse optics application. Then, we present a TD optical system using this source and its performances in both recovering optical properties of tissue-mimicking homogeneous phantoms and in detecting localized absorption perturbations. Finally, as a proof of concept of in vivo application, we demonstrate that the system is able to detect hemodynamic changes occurring in the arm of healthy volunteers during a venous occlusion. Squeezing the laser source in a small footprint removes a key technological bottleneck that has hampered so far the realization of a miniaturized TD diffuse optics system, able to compete with already assessed continuous-wave devices in terms of size and cost, but with wider performance potentialities, as demonstrated by research over the last two decades.

• 出版日期2017-8