Portable Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy for Non-Invasive and Quantitative Assessment of the Parathyroid Glands Viability

Often times Parathyroid Glands (PTGs) are at risk of damage or accidental removal during thyroid surgery. PTGs are responsible for secreting a parathyroid hormone, which controls the regulation of calcium from absorption to storage to secretion and has a direct effect on the body’s regulation of muscles and nerves. Therefore, it is imperative to make an accurate assessment of the PTGs to not harm or remove viable glands. Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy (DRS) is a promising noninvasive solution that can deliver a quick and quantitative assessment of the PTGs and their viability. DRS is a technique that uses the optical properties of tissue, absorption and scattering, to quantify hemoglobin (Hb) or tissue oxygenation. We have developed a compact, portable DRS using commercially available LED source, driver, and spectrometer combined with our handmade probes. The system has been verified through extensive assessments using phantom mimicking tissue with known absorption and scattering coefficients. Through the tests, we were able to quantify the signal-to-noise ratio, which was computed to be around 40dB, and observe the change in oxygenation values of the blood phantom. This proves our design is ready to be applied to human studies.