Exploring the Impact and Influence of Melanin on Frequency-domain Near-infrared Spectroscopy Measurements

Overview

Journal J Biomed Opt

Specialties Biomedical Engineering
Ophthalmology

Date 2024 Sep 26

PMID 39323492

Authors

Shidhartho Roy

Jingyi Wu

Jiaming Cao

Joel Disu

Sharadhi Bharadwaj

Elizabeth Meinert-Spyker

Pulkit Grover

Jana M Kainerstorfer

Sossena Wood

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Significance: Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a non-invasive optical method that measures changes in hemoglobin concentration and oxygenation. The measured light intensity is susceptible to reduced signal quality due to the presence of melanin.

Aim: We quantify the influence of melanin concentration on NIRS measurements taken with a frequency-domain near-infrared spectroscopy system using 690 and 830 nm.

Approach: Using a forehead NIRS probe, we measured 35 healthy participants and investigated the correlation between melanin concentration indices, which were determined using a colorimeter, and several key metrics from the NIRS signal. These metrics include signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), two measurements of oxygen saturation (arterial oxygen saturation, , and tissue oxygen saturation, ), and optical properties represented by the absorption coefficient ( ) and the reduced scattering coefficient ( ).

Results: We found a significant negative correlation between the melanin index and the SNR estimated in oxy-hemoglobin signals ( , ) and levels ( , ). However, no significant changes were observed in the optical properties and ( , ).

Conclusions: We found that estimated SNR and values show a significant decline and dependence on the melanin index, whereas and optical properties do not show any correlation with the melanin index.

Citing Articles

Pulse Oximetry: 50 Years of Inventions & Discoveries in Biomedical Optics.

Kainerstorfer J, Tichauer K, Yodh A, van Leeuwen T, Pogue B J Biomed Opt. 2025; 29(Suppl 3):S33301.

PMID: 39776835 PMC: 11706291. DOI: 10.1117/1.JBO.29.S3.S33301.

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