title: Near-infrared spectroscopy for medical applications: Current status and future perspectives.
abstract: The near-infrared radiation (NIR) window, also known as the "optical window" or "therapeutic window", is the range of wavelengths that has the maximum depth of penetration in tissue. Indeed, because NIR is minimally absorbed by water and hemoglobin, spectra readings can be easily collected from the body surface. Recent reports have shown the potential of NIR spectroscopy in various medical applications, including functional analysis of the brain and other tissues, as well as an analytical tool for diagnosing diseases. The broad applicability of NIR spectroscopy facilitates the diagnosis and therapy of diseases as well as elucidating their pathophysiology. This review introduces recent advances and describes new studies in NIR to demonstrate potential clinical applications of NIR spectroscopy.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biometabolic Chemistry, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, 207 Uehara, Nishihara, Okinawa 903-0215, Japan. Electronic address: sakudo@med.u-ryukyu.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Akikazu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sakudo
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Chemometrics; Near-infrared spectroscopy; Non-invasive analysis; Partial least squares regression; Principal component analysis; Vibration