Harnessing the Power of Hybrid NIRS: A Dive into Eskandari et al.’s cbNIRS Study
At PIONIRS, we’re always excited to see how our NIRSBOX-Q platform fuels innovation across biophotonics. In their recent Optica Open preprint, Eskandari and colleagues introduce a clever fusion of continuous-wave hyperspectral measurements with PIONIRS’s four-wavelength time-domain NIRS system—what they call “calibrated broadband NIRS,” or cbNIRS.
From Concept to Quantitative Insight
Traditional near-infrared spectroscopy can measures hemoglobin variations, but capturing the mitochondrial marker cytochrome-c-oxidase (CCO) with absolute confidence has long been a challenge. Eskandari et al. cracked this by using NIRSBOX-Q’s pulsed lasers at 760, 808, 850, and 915 nm to “anchor” broadband CW spectrum, retrieving absolute concentrations of hemoglobin and CCO—down to its redox states—with impressively low error in tissue-mimicking liquid phantoms.
Key Findings
- Accurate Chromophore Quantification: Through Monte Carlo simulations, the hybrid cbNIRS algorithm recovered absorption (μₐ) and reduced scattering (μ′ₛ) spectra across 680–920 nm with a mean error of 0.8 ± 0.4% and 3.6 ± 1.0%, respectively. Absolute concentrations of total CCO (tCCO) and its redox states were estimated with normalized RMSE ≤ 7.9%, demonstrating high fidelity even at low CCO levels.
- Phantom Validation: Intralipid phantoms with whole swine blood and yeast exhibited expected variations in StO2, total hemoglobin and CCO content. Measured hemoglobin concentrations matched the estimates within 7% error, and tCCO increased by 1.8 ± 0.4 μM upon yeast addition dynamic deoxygenation–reoxygenation cycles further confirmed the system’s sensitivity: oxCCO and HbO decreased in concert with oxygen depletion, while redCCO and Hb rose, recovering fully upon reoxygenation.
Why NIRSBOX-Q Makes the Difference
- Four Distinct Wavelengths, no a-priori assumptions: Each pulsed laser in the NIRSBOX-Q directly measures absorption and scattering at its specific wavelength—no more indirect inference or protracted calibrations.
- Seamless, Plug-and-Play Setup: compact and versatile optical probes and easy device integration make it possible to dock NIRSBOX-Q to your lab set-up.
- Intuitive Software for Instant Feedback: From real-time photon-time-of-flight histograms to live optical parameter retrieval, PIONIRS’s GUI puts control at your fingertips.
Integrating NIRSBOX into Your Research Ecosystem
- Diffuse Correlation Spectroscopy (DCS): Combine with DCS on the same set-up to track blood flow and metabolism together.
- Diffuse Optical Tomography (DOT): Scale up to high-density imaging in custom caps and probe arrays without bulky hardware.
- In Vivo & Clinical Applications: Lightweight probes and rugged fiber management make PIONIRS devices ideal for both animal models and bedside monitoring.
Inspiring the Next Wave of Discoveries
What does this mean for you, the NIRS community? Whether you’re probing cerebral metabolism for human and veterinary application, monitoring neonatal oxygenation, or developing next-gen brain–computer interfaces, PIONIRS devices unlock quantitative, insights that were previously out of reach.
We invite you to explore the full portfolio of PIONIRS solutions, start collaborating with us and share your findings. Together, we’ll chart new territories in diffuse optics—fueled by the precision and flexibility of PIONIRS devices.
Ready to dive in? Reach out to our applications team, or join the PIONIRS newsletter to stay on the cutting edge of TD-NIRS innovations.
Stay curious,
The PIONIRS Team
