Monte Carlo-based correction of geometric and instrumental biases in single-distance time-domain near-infrared spectroscopy on skeletal muscle.

Authors

Marco Nabacino, Caterina Amendola, Letizia Contini, Rebecca Re, Davide Contini, Alessandro Torricelli, Lorenzo Spinelli

Published in

Biomedical optics express. Volume 17. Issue 7. Pages 3631-3649. Jul 01, 2026. Epub Jun 15, 2026.

Abstract

Time-Domain Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (TD NIRS) data from skeletal muscle are commonly analyzed using homogeneous models for photon diffusion, introducing substantial bias when the skeletal muscle is overlain by a thick superficial adipose tissue. We used Monte Carlo simulations of photon propagation in layered media to quantify these effects and to develop correction strategies for both homogeneous and two-layer analytical models. A total of 1500 single-source-detector distance TD NIRS curves with varying optical and geometrical properties were simulated and fitted with a homogeneous or layered model for photon diffusion. By comparison with the ground-truth absorption coefficients of the lower layer, correction curves were obtained. The role of the instrument response function was investigated, highlighting its impact on homogeneous and layered analyses. A simulated vascular occlusion test showed that corrections reduced the median absolute percentage error of recovered hemodynamic parameters from $\simeq$ 30-40% to below 10% (homogeneous) and to $\simeq$ 2-3% (two-layer). We tested the applicability of the proposed approach in-vivo via measurements on a volunteer during cuff occlusion on the leg.

PMID:
42460372
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 16 Jul 2026.

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