Interferometric speckle contrast optical spectroscopy (iSCOS) in continuous-wave parallel interferometric near-infrared spectroscopy (CW-πNIRS)

Optical methods enable continuous, noninvasive cerebral blood flow (CBF) monitoring. Diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) estimates CBF through temporal correlation analysis of scattered light but is limited by low detection throughput. Parallelizing DCS enhances performance but requires costly ultra-fast (∼1 MHz) detectors, complicating continuous measurements. An alternative approach analyzes spatial correlations using speckle contrast, inversely proportional to blood flow, captured with slower two-dimensional sensors. In this study, we present continuous-wave parallel interferometric near-infrared spectroscopy (CW-πNIRS), employing interferometry combined with a high-speed 2D camera, as a novel method uniquely suited for spatial correlation measurements. By leveraging interferometric detection, our approach provides a synthetic multi-exposure capability for direct quantitative comparisons between spatial (speckle contrast) and temporal (autocorrelation) methods for CBF monitoring. Numerical simulations, incorporating interferometric reference fields, and tissue-mimicking phantom validations demonstrated robust, and stable speckle contrast estimates. Finally, in vivo experiments confirmed the method’s potential for effective human cerebral blood flow monitoring, highlighting practical advantages and providing a clear pathway towards clinical implementation.