Chapter 20
Medical Applications of NIR
Spectroscopy
Herbert Michael Heise
Abstract In recent years, near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has seen much progress
in instrumentation and measurement techniques. It has been used for monitoring in
many fields of analytical spectroscopy. Examples are the characterization of materials
from processes of the chemical and pharmaceutical industry in addition to the broad
field of food industrial and biotechnological applications. Another important field for
NIR spectroscopy is found within the medical sciences with topics such as clinical
chemistry, sensing and monitoring of changes of homeostasis of the body, with
biofluids and tissues from many organs involved. Here, in vitro laboratory work
and in vivo monitoring must be mentioned. Regarding instrumentation, laboratory
analyzers are kept firmly in our view, but point-of-care (POC) applications need also
to be taken into account. Sensing devices for non-invasive measurements on special
parameters such as blood glucose and hemoglobin or information on the redox status
of tissues is another broad area with oxygenation of hemoglobin and myoglobin as
most important parameters. Absorption measurements are most often carried out
with transmission and reflection techniques, but due to the synthesis of new marker
substances, also fluorescence measurements in the NIR spectral range become more
advanced, especially for imaging and immunoassay developments.
Keywords Near-infrared spectroscopy · Medical applications · Clinical
chemistry · Spectral histopathology · Oximetry · Monitoring of physiological
processes · Optical tomography
20.1 Introduction
Near-infrared spectroscopy has been established as a versatile analytical method
for characterizing liquid and solid chemicals as available in various fields, which
include for example the food and forage industry, petrochemistry, polymer chemistry
and biotechnology. Analytical spectroscopy can provide important information on
H. M. Heise (B)
Interdisciplinary Center for Life Sciences, South-Westphalia University of Applied Sciences,
Frauenstuhlweg 31, 58644 Iserlohn, Germany
e-mail: heise.h@fh-swf.de
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
Y. Ozaki et al. (eds.), Near-Infrared Spectroscopy,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8648-4_20
437
Medical Applications of NIR
Spectroscopy
Herbert Michael Heise
Abstract In recent years, near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has seen much progress
in instrumentation and measurement techniques. It has been used for monitoring in
many fields of analytical spectroscopy. Examples are the characterization of materials
from processes of the chemical and pharmaceutical industry in addition to the broad
field of food industrial and biotechnological applications. Another important field for
NIR spectroscopy is found within the medical sciences with topics such as clinical
chemistry, sensing and monitoring of changes of homeostasis of the body, with
biofluids and tissues from many organs involved. Here, in vitro laboratory work
and in vivo monitoring must be mentioned. Regarding instrumentation, laboratory
analyzers are kept firmly in our view, but point-of-care (POC) applications need also
to be taken into account. Sensing devices for non-invasive measurements on special
parameters such as blood glucose and hemoglobin or information on the redox status
of tissues is another broad area with oxygenation of hemoglobin and myoglobin as
most important parameters. Absorption measurements are most often carried out
with transmission and reflection techniques, but due to the synthesis of new marker
substances, also fluorescence measurements in the NIR spectral range become more
advanced, especially for imaging and immunoassay developments.
Keywords Near-infrared spectroscopy · Medical applications · Clinical
chemistry · Spectral histopathology · Oximetry · Monitoring of physiological
processes · Optical tomography
20.1 Introduction
Near-infrared spectroscopy has been established as a versatile analytical method
for characterizing liquid and solid chemicals as available in various fields, which
include for example the food and forage industry, petrochemistry, polymer chemistry
and biotechnology. Analytical spectroscopy can provide important information on
H. M. Heise (B)
Interdisciplinary Center for Life Sciences, South-Westphalia University of Applied Sciences,
Frauenstuhlweg 31, 58644 Iserlohn, Germany
e-mail: heise.h@fh-swf.de
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
Y. Ozaki et al. (eds.), Near-Infrared Spectroscopy,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8648-4_20
437