Photon transport through the entire adult human head.

Abstract

Significance: The highly scattering nature of near-infrared light in human tissue makes it challenging to collect photons using source-detector separations larger than several centimeters. The limits of detectability of light transmitted through the head remain unknown. Detecting photons in the extreme case through an entire adult head explores the limits of photon transport in the brain.

Aim: We explore the physical limits of photon transport in the head in the extreme case wherein the source and detector are diametrically opposite.

Approach: Simulations uncover possible migration pathways of photons from source to detector. We compare simulations with time-resolved photon counting experiments that measure pulsed light transmitted through the head.

Results: We observe good agreement between the peak delay time and width of the time-correlated histograms in experiments and simulations. Analysis of the photon migration pathways indicates sensitivity to regions of the brain well beyond accepted limits. Source repositioning can isolate sensitivity to targeted regions of the brain, including under the cerebrum.

Conclusions: We overcome attenuation of $\sim {10}^{18}$ and detect photons transmitted through an entire adult human head for a subject with fair skin and no hair. Photons measured in this regime explore regions of the brain currently inaccessible with noninvasive optical brain imaging.