New noninvasive method to measure brain blood flow
A transformative method for functional brain imaging with Speckle Contrast Optical Spectroscopy
This project is creating a low-cost, noninvasive camera-based system to measure blood flow changes in the brains of children and adults, including people with acquired brain injuries.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston University (Charles River Campus) NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11144512 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be helping develop a lightweight, fiber-based optical device that watches blood flow in the brain using harmless light and camera sensors. The device pairs speckle-contrast optics with inexpensive CMOS cameras to track cerebral blood flow changes alongside signals that other optical systems measure. Because it is optical and portable, it could be used with children, infants, or people who cannot go into an MRI machine and during natural movements. Testing will happen in person at the research site while the team compares the new signals to established brain-imaging measures.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants include children and adults with acquired brain injury as well as healthy volunteers across ages who can visit the Boston research site for noninvasive imaging sessions.
Not a fit: People seeking a direct medical treatment or cure should not expect personal therapeutic benefit, since this project focuses on developing an imaging tool rather than offering a therapy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to affordable, bedside or wearable monitors that track brain blood flow to help guide care and recovery after brain injury.
How similar studies have performed: Related optical approaches like fNIRS and diffuse correlation methods have shown usefulness, but this specific speckle-contrast, fiber-and-camera design is newer and still under development.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Boston University (Charles River Campus) — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cheng, Xiaojun — Boston University (Charles River Campus)
- Study coordinator: Cheng, Xiaojun
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.