Small form factor detector module for high density diffuse optical tomography

A wearable device for high-density-diffuse optical tomography, the wearable device comprising:

• a plurality of source modules, each source module comprising a source housing containing a light source, each source housing configurable to contact a scalp of a subject and to deliver light into the scalp at one source position of a plurality of source positions;
• a plurality of detector modules, each detector module comprising a detector housing containing a photodiode, a transimpedance amplifier operatively coupled to the photodiode, and an analog to digital converter operatively coupled to the transimpedance amplifier, the detector housing containing at least one of the photodiode, wherein each detector housing is mounted on the wearable device to allow the detector module to contact the scalp of the subject and is configurable to receive light from the scalp at one detector position of a plurality of detector positions;
• a flexible cap configured to fit over the scalp of the subject, the plurality of source modules and the plurality of detector modules coupled to and extending at least partially through the flexible cap to form a plurality of brush tips to contact the scalp of the subject when the subject is wearing the flexible cap;
• and
• a control circuit operatively coupled to the plurality of source modules and to the plurality of detector modules, the control circuit configured to operate the plurality of source modules and the plurality of detector modules in a coordinated manner to acquire a plurality of diffuse optical tomography measurements.

A method for obtaining a series of brain activity maps of a subject using a wearable high-diffuse optical tomography (WHD-DOT) device, the method comprising:

• a) fitting the WHD-DOT device to a scalp of the subject, wherein the WHD-DOT device comprises a flexible cap, a plurality of source modules and detector modules coupled to the flexible cap in an array pattern, a plurality of brush tips, each brush tip containing one of the plurality of source modules or one of the plurality of detector modules, wherein each brush tip allows its source module or detector module to contact the scalp of the subject, and a control circuit comprising at least one control module selected from the group consisting of a microcontroller, a central processing unit, and a field programmable gate array, the at least one control module operatively coupled to the plurality of source modules and detector modules, the at least one control module configured to operate the plurality of source modules and detector modules according to at least one encoding scheme, wherein each source module and detector module comprises a housing with a maximum width ranging from about 1 mm to about 6 mm and a length ranging from about 10 mm to about 30 mm;
• and
• b) operating, under control of the at least one control module, the plurality of source modules and detector modules to obtain a plurality of diffuse optical tomography measurements, each diffuse optical tomography measurement associated with a source-detector channel of the WHD-DOT device.