Review of short-wave infrared spectroscopy and imaging methods for biological tissue characterization
Open accessAbstract
We present a review of short-wave infrared (SWIR, defined here as ∼1000 to 2000 nm) spectroscopy and imaging techniques for biological tissue optical property characterization. Studies indicate notable SWIR absorption features of tissue constituents including water (near 1150, 1450, and 1900 nm), lipids (near 1040, 1200, 1400, and 1700 nm), and collagen (near 1200 and 1500 nm) that are much more prominent than corresponding features observed in the visible and near-infrared (VIS-NIR, defined here as ∼400 to 1000 nm). Furthermore, the wavelength dependence of the scattering coefficient has been observed to follow a power-law decay from the VIS-NIR to the SWIR region. Thus, the magnitude of tissue scattering is lower at SWIR wavelengths than that observed at VIS or NIR wavelengths, potentially enabling increased penetration depth of incident light at SWIR wavelengths that are not highly absorbed by the aforementioned chromophores. These aspects of SWIR suggest that the tissue spectroscopy and imaging in this range of wavelengths have the potential to provide enhanced sensitivity (relative to VIS-NIR measurements) to chromophores such as water and lipids, thereby helping to characterize changes in the concentrations of these chromophores due to conditions such as atherosclerotic plaque, breast cancer, and burns.
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As wavelength increases from the visible towards the near infra-red, absorption by water, collagen and lipids becomes more prominent despite not being significant in the visible part of the spectrum.
“As the wavelength of light increases from the visible towards the near infra-red, absorption by water, collagen and lipids become more prominent despite not being significant in the visible part of the spectrum (Fig. 3).”
From Relevance and utility of the in-vivo and ex-vivo optical properties of the skin reported in the literature: a review [Invited] (2023) · cites this paper as [18]
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“ized by reduced photon scatter, minimal tissue autofluorescence, and wavelength-dependent absorption, which can be exploited to optimize image resolution and depth sensitivity.(4,5) Broad”
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- Authors
- Wilson, R. H., Nadeau, K. P., Jaworski, F. B., Tromberg, B. J., & Durkin, A. J.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Irvine (US)
- Raytheon (United States) (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Biomedical Optics
- Publisher
- SPIE-Intl Soc Optical Eng
- Published
- 2015-03-24
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 03
- Pages
- 1-10
- ISSN
- 1083-3668 (ISSN-L)
- 1560-2281
- PMC
- PMC4370890
- OpenAlex
- W2043740089
- Cited by
- 415
- References
- 54
- Citations by year
- 2026: 56 · 2025: 71 · 2024: 49 · 2023: 46 · 2022: 41 · 2021: 32 · 2020: 35 · 2019: 33 · 2018: 30 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 1
- FWCI
- 14.05
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Journal of Biomedical Optics (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (P41EB015890)
- National Institutes of Health (P41EB015890, NIH-R21EB014440, NIH-R21NS078634)
- NIH (P41EB015890)
- NIH/NIBIB (P41EB015890)
- Beckman Foundation and the NIH (P41EB015890)
- NIH (NIBIB) Laser Microbeam and Medical Program (P41EB015890)
- NIBIB Biomedical Technology Research Center LAMMP (P41EB015890)
- NIH NIBIB Biomedical Technology Research Center LAMMP (P41EB015890)
- NIH/NIBIB funded LAMMP (P41EB015890)
- US National Institutes of Health (P41EB015890)
- Arnold & Mabel Beckman Foundation (P41EB015890)
- National Institute of Biomedical Imaging Bioengineering (P41EB015890)
- NIH NIBIB (P41EB015890)
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research (FA9550-10-1-0538)
- Military Medical Photonics Program AFOSR (FA9550-10-1-0538)
- Military Medical Photonics Program (FA9550-10-1-0538)
- Military Photomedicine Program AFOSR (FA9550-10-1-0538)
- NSF IGERT (1144901)
- Beckman Foundation (1144901)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging › Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Techniques
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Biophysics › Spectroscopy Techniques in Biomedical and Chemical Research
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Optical Coherence Tomography Applications
- Keywords
- short-wave infrared spectroscopy, short-wave infrared imaging, tissue chromophores, water absorption, fat absorption, light penetration depth, atherosclerotic plaque, breast cancer, burns
- MeSH terms
- Adipose Tissue, Body Water, Breast Neoplasms, Burns, Collagen, Diagnostic Imaging, Female, Humans, Scattering, Radiation, Spectrophotometry, Infrared, Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared, Plaque, Atherosclerotic, Optical Imaging
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