Researchers have developed a laser-based device that can be placed on the head to noninvasively monitor changes in brain blood flow and volume. The new device could one day help save lives by offering a direct and simple way to assess stroke risk based on physiological markers rather than indirect markers like lifestyle factors.

The approach uses speckle contrast optical spectroscopy (SCOS) to track changes in blood flow and volume during a breath-holding exercise. The researchers report that the portable system was able to differentiate between low and high stroke risk in a group of 50 volunteers.

The simple, portable spectroscopy system that consists of a laser diode and a CMOS-based camera that can be placed on the head with no external optical elements. SCOS works by shining an infrared laser or light onto the brain and analyzing the patterns of scattered light. The infrared light can penetrate the skull and brain, producing a back-scattered speckle pattern that varies with changes in blood flow and tissue oxygenation. (Image credit: Optica)

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Topics:
Health Monitors and Activity Trackers Medical Patient Monitoring Wearables

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    This article first appeared in the January, 2025 issue of Medical Design Briefs Magazine (Vol. 15 No. 1).

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