Since 1996, Chance developed and tested several Continuous Wave (CW) imaging devices for the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and muscle (Chance et al. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 1997 Jun 29;352(1354):707-16.). His company called NIM (Near Infrared Monitoring) operated between 1996 and 2009 and sold approximately 20 devices named LED imager (half for brain imaging and half for muscle oxygenation m
onitoring). In the meanwhile Researchers of the School of Biomedical Engineering of the Drexel University started to collaborate with Chance since 1999. A wearable optical system for adult PFC fNIR measurements was developed in 2004. In August of 2009 fNIR Devices, LLC (Potomac, MD, USA), using the technologies licensed from Prof. Chance and the Drexel University, started shipping a 16-channel for adult PFC fNIR measurements (Model 1100). In 2011, a 4-channel wireless system for adults (Model 1100W) as well as a pediatric 2-channel probe were introduced. Within the first 18 months of operations fNIR devices has provided over 60 systems for various kinds of research mainly in USA. Additionally the Drexel team has been developing clinical application areas including depth of anesthesia monitoring, Brain Computer interface and Traumatic Brain Injury rehabilitation monitoring. In addition to the clinical development, the Drexel team has also translated the fNIR technology to human-performance applications such as UAV ground operators and air traffic controllers’ mental workload assessment.
