Non-invasive optical imaging for measuring pulse and arterial elasticity in the brain

A computer program product for use on a computer system having a processor configured to create an image of a region of a brain of a subject under test based on input digital data that includes first data representing interaction between light and at least one blood vessel in said region and second data representing interaction between light and a reference blood vessel of the subject under test, the computer program product comprising a computer-usable tangible medium having a computer readable program code therein, which, when loaded into the computer system, causes the processor:

• to determine, from said input digital data, a first shape parameter of a hemodynamic pulse in said at least one blood vessel;
• to transform said input digital data to produce an output representing an image of said first shape parameter across said region;
• to determine, from said input digital data, a second shape parameter of a hemodynamic pulse in the reference blood vessel;
• to compare said first and second shape parameters to define a difference therebetween;
• and
• based on said difference and said image, to produce an output representing elasticity of said at least one blood vessel of said region.

An imaging system operable to produce output data representing elasticity of at least one blood vessel of a brain of a subject under test (SUT), the system comprising:

• an illumination system configured to generate photons and
• to illuminate non-invasively a region of interest (ROI) of said brain with said photons and receive the photons after interaction thereof with the ROI having at least one blood vessel;
• and
• to illuminate non-invasively, and contemporaneously with illumination of said ROI, a reference blood vessel with said photons and receive the photons after interaction thereof with said reference blood vessel;
• a light detection mechanism including an optical detector and a signal-processing section, the light detection mechanism configured
• (i) to acquire photons that have been received after interaction with the ROI to compile first imaging data representing a hemodynamic pulse in said at least one blood vessel from the ROI;
• and
• (ii) to acquire photons that have been received after interaction with the reference blood vessel to compile second imaging data representing a hemodynamic pulse in said reference blood vessel;
• a processor in operable communication with the light detection mechanism, the processor programmed
• to determine a first shape of said hemodynamic pulse in said at least one blood vessel from said first imaging data;
• to determine a second shape of said hemodynamic pulse in said reference blood vessel from said second imaging data;
• to compare said first and second shapes to determine a difference therebetween;
• to form said output data representing elasticity of said at least one blood vessel from the ROI based on said difference;
• and to create at least one image of elasticity distribution based on at least said first imaging data;
• and
• a display section, in which appears a display of a visually-perceivable representation of at least one of the first imaging data, the second imaging data, the output data, and said ROI.