Method to improve the depth sensitivity of diffuse reflectance measurements to absorption changes in optically turbid medium.

We have studied the spatial distributions of the sensitivity of time-resolved near-infrared diffuse reflectance measurement. Sensitivity factors representing a change of parameters of a measured optical signal induced by absorption perturbation in a certain voxel of the medium were simulated using the diffusion equation solution. The parameters were statistical moments of measured distributions of time of flight of photons (DTOFs) i.e., the total number of photons, mean time of flight and variance. The distributions of the sensitivity of statistical moments of DTOFs to a change in absorption were generated for various source-detector separations and various optical properties of the medium. Furthermore, differential sensitivity distributions for two different source-detector separations were calculated. A measurement geometry, in which two detection spots, separated by 5 mm, in combination with two sources was proposed. For this setup differences between the signals obtained for both detectors were calculated independently for both sources and afterward summed up for both source positions. Obtained differences in moments of DTOFs assessed at two source-detector separations and summed up for different positioning of the sources allowed to shape up the sensitivity profiles. Calculated sensitivity profiles show that positive sensitivities of the mean time of flight of photons and variance of the DTOF can be obtained. These positive sensitivity areas are located just between both detection spots and cover the compartment located deeply in the medium. The sensitivity in superficial compartments of the medium is negative and much smaller in amplitude. The proposed technique can be used for improved discrimination of optical signals related to the intracerebral change in absorption which remains a serious obstacle in the application of the NIRS technique in the assessment of brain oxygenation or perfusion.