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Updated: Jul 14, 2026
Transcutaneous Microcirculatory Imaging in Preterm Neonates
Published on: December 31, 2015
Imaging Deep Haemorrhage and Ischaemia in Preterm Infants' Heads with Time-Domain Near-Infrared Optical Tomography:
Jingjing Jiang1, A Di Costanzo Mata2, M Ackermann2
1Biomedical Optics Research Laboratory (BORL), Department of Neonatology, University Hospital Zurich and University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland. jingjing.jiang@usz.ch.
Insights
This study validates a new time-domain near-infrared optical tomography (TD-NIROT) system for detecting neonatal brain injuries. The system successfully identified simulated deep haemorrhages and ischaemia in phantom models, showing promise for clinical use.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Optics
- Medical Imaging
- Neonatal Neurology
Background:
- Brain lesions are common in preterm infants, leading to disabilities.
- Early detection of cerebral ischaemia/hypoxia and haemorrhage is crucial for neuroprotection.
- A novel time-domain near-infrared optical tomography (TD-NIROT) system has been developed for neonatal brain oxygenation imaging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To validate the effectiveness of the TD-NIROT system.
- To assess its capability in detecting deep ischaemia/hypoxia and haemorrhages.
- To evaluate diagnostic imaging for neonatal brain oxygenation.
Main Methods:
- Fabricated spherical silicone phantoms mimicking preterm infant heads.
- Embedded inclusions simulating ischaemia and haemorrhage at 30 mm depth.
- Collected time-domain data and performed image reconstruction using Dice similarity.
Main Results:
- The TD-NIROT system accurately located simulated haemorrhage.
- Ischaemia was detected with a slightly shifted position (Dice similarity 0.47 and 0.27).
- Image reconstruction demonstrated promising accuracy in the phantom model.
Conclusions:
- The TD-NIROT system successfully detected deep haemorrhages and ischaemia in a phantom model.
- The imaging accuracy suggests potential for clinical application.
- Further development is encouraged for diagnosing and monitoring neonatal brain injuries.
Background And Aim:
The occurrence of brain lesions in preterm infants is common and can result in lasting disabilities. To prevent these and to safeguard the brain through therapeutic measures or neuroprotective treatments, it is important to identify cerebral ischaemia/hypoxia and haemorrhage at an early stage. For this purpose, we have successfully developed a cutting-edge time-domain near-infrared optical tomography (TD-NIROT) system, which offers diagnostic imaging for neonatal brain oxygenation. Our objective is to validate the effectiveness of the TD-NIROT in detecting deep ischaemia/hypoxia and haemorrhages through phantom experiments.
Methods:
Spherical silicone phantoms were fabricated to replicate the head of preterm infant. To simulate the lesions, we made two head phantoms and embedded small inclusions mimicking ischaemia and haemorrhage at the depth of 30 mm. Additionally, a spherical interface was constructed to connect the spherical phantom to the imaging system, allowing us to collect time-domain data. Following the data acquisition, we proceeded with image reconstruction. Dice similarity was used as an indicator of the accuracy and similarity between the reconstructed images and the ground truth.
Results And Discussion:
The resulting images exhibited an accurate location of haemorrhage and detected the ischaemia with a slightly shifted position with Dice similarity of 0.47 and 0.27.
Conclusion:
Our experiment validates the capability of our TD-NIROT system in successfully detecting deep haemorrhages and ischaemia within the phantom model. The achieved results suggest a promising level of accuracy in the imaging process. These findings are encouraging to continue this work to ultimately achieve clinical application of the TD-NIROT system in diagnosing and monitoring neonatal brain injuries.
