Key result
Open-source NIRDuino system delivers stable fNIRS measurements for under $1000.
Why the study?
Existing fNIRS systems present barriers for non-engineers and researchers needing an affordable, easily configurable neuroimaging setup.
NIRDuino provides a low-cost, modular, and open-source fNIRS platform for neuroimaging studies.
May expand affordable fNIRS access for researchers; leaves open clinical validation before adoption.
Significance We present NIRDuino: an Open-source Android ® -configurable, modular, and Bluetooth-enabled fNIRS system that allows researchers to perform neuroimaging studies with up to eight emitters and 16 detectors. The complete system (including Android tablet) can be assembled for less than $1000, and the emitters and detectors can be arranged in any configuration to achieve the desired short and long channels required for their study. Aim The system has been designed with non-engineers in mind, and the researcher only needs to design the wearable interfaces to attach the emitters and detectors to the body appropriate for their intended application. Approach The system consists of a battery-powered, wireless controller built on the Arduino® Nano ESP32 platform, a dongle with sockets for each of the eight emitters and detectors that can be connected, and individual wired probes for emitters and detectors. In accompaniment, Arduino®-based firmware and an Android ® application have also been developed and provided. The selected emitters and detectors can be arranged in any desired configuration, and the emitters can be configured to output light with both regular intensities and low intensities to collect data for “long channels” with sufficient signal quality and “short channels” without saturation. This paper details the system’s design and characterization on phantom and two physiological experiences on a human. Results The easy-to-configure hardware/software system demonstrated stability in fNIRS measurements using a single emitter-detector pair placed on a phantom, and reproduced previously published outcomes for arterial cuff measurements on the forearm and a arithmetic experiment on the forehead. Conclusion The NIRDuino circuitry and software demonstrated modularity and usability for NIRS experiments, and this low-cost platform will provide researchers globally with an affordable fNIRS system to easily adopt and adapt for their unique experimental needs.
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Kumar et al. (2024) studied this question. NIRDuino system was evaluated. The NIRDuino system, an open-source, modular, and Bluetooth-enabled fNIRS device, was successfully developed and demonstrated stability in fNIRS measurements for less than $1000.
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