Compact and cost-effective laser-powered speckle contrast optical spectroscopy fiber-free device for measuring cerebral blood flow

Significance: In the realm of cerebrovascular monitoring, primary metrics typically include blood pressure, which influences cerebral blood flow (CBF) and is contingent upon vessel radius. Measuring CBF noninvasively poses a persistent challenge, primarily attributed to the difficulty of accessing and obtaining signal from the brain. Aim: Our study aims to introduce a compact speckle contrast optical spectroscopy device for noninvasive CBF measurements at long source-to-detector distances, offering cost-effectiveness, and scalability while tracking blood flow (BF) with remarkable sensitivity and temporal resolution. Approach: The wearable sensor module consists solely of a laser diode and a board camera. It can be easily placed on a subject’s head to measure BF at a sampling rate of 80 Hz. Results: Compared to the single-fiber-based version, the proposed device achieved a signal gain of about 70 times, showed superior stability, reproducibility, and signal-to-noise ratio for measuring BF at long source-to-detector distances. The device can be distributed in multiple configurations around the head. Conclusions: Given its cost-effectiveness, scalability, and simplicity, this laser-centric tool offers significant potential in advancing noninvasive cerebral monitoring technologies.