Ongoing pain detection system and method for utilizing near-infrared spectroscopy

1. A method of detecting ongoing pain in a non-responsive patient, comprising:

placing a functional near-infrared spectroscopy system (NIRS) onto at least one cortical region of the brain of the non-responsive patient;

obtaining function near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) imaging data from the at least one cortical region of a brain of the non-responsive patient using the NIRS;

comparing measured imaging data with patient pain based on control data and thereby recognizing pain in the non-responsive patient by converting the obtained fNIRS imaging data to cortical hemoglobin concentration changes using fractional power spectral density time courses to observe frequency changes; and

controlling an analgesic load delivered to the non-responsive patient as a result of the comparing step.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the imaging data is obtained during a surgical procedure, and/or wherein the control data include measured brain signal changes during a preoperative state, and/or wherein the fNIRS imaging data is collected while the non-responsive patient is under general anesthesia.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtained imaging data is used to measure one or more hemodynamic parameters in the at least one cortical region of the brain of the non-responsive patient.

4. The method claim 1 , wherein the control data includes pain indicia detected in the patient while responsive and/or wherein the control data is obtained by acquiring optical imaging data from the at least one cortical region of the brain of a responsive patient.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the optical imaging data is acquired by performing an activity to the patient, wherein the activity includes delivery of a physiological stimulus to the patient.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the thermal pain stimulus is delivered to the patient during three stages including a first stage as a resting state, a second stage of delivering an innocuous thermal stimulus, and a third stage of delivering a noxious thermal stimulus.

7. A method of detecting ongoing pain in a non-responsive patient, comprising:

placing a functional near-infrared spectroscopy system (NIRS) onto at least one cortical region of the brain of the non-responsive patient;

obtaining function near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) imaging data from the at least one cortical region of the brain of a responsive patient and the non-responsive patient using the NIRS;

comparing the imaging data of each of the responsive patient and the non-responsive patient with control data by converting the obtained fNIRS imaging data to cortical hemoglobin concentration changes using fractional power spectral density time courses to observe frequency changes; and

controlling an analgesic load delivered to the non-responsive patient as a result of the comparing step.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the obtaining of fNIRS imaging data of the responsive patient includes:

obtaining fNIRS imaging data during a resting state;

continuously delivering pain stimulus to patient; and

obtaining fNIRS imaging data during the delivery of the thermal pain stimulus.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the obtaining of fNRIS imaging data of the non-responsive patient includes:

collecting fNIRS imaging data during a preoperative state; and

collecting fNIRS imaging data while the non-responsive patient is under anesthesia or sedation during a surgical procedure.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

converting the obtained fNIRS imaging data to cortical hemoglobin concentration changes and fractional power spectral density time courses.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

comparing the data of the non-responsive patient with the data of the responsive patient to detect ongoing pain in the patient during the surgical procedure.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

in response to detecting ongoing pain in the patient during the surgical procedure, assessing a therapeutic effect on the at least one cortical region of the brain by administering a therapeutic treatment to the non-responsive patient; and

conducting a plurality of function near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) scans to detect patient pain.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the administering of a plurality of fNIRS scans includes:

conducting a fNIRS scan prior to administration of the therapeutic treatment; and

continuously conducting a fNIRS scan during the surgical procedure after administration of the therapeutic treatment.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

acquiring fNIRS imaging data from each scan during the delivery of the stimuli;

determining from the imaging data, brain activity data representing a hemodynamic parameter in the cortical region of the brain of the patient; and

comparing the brain activity data representing the hemodynamic parameter to the control data that represents the hemodynamic parameter; and

outputting an indication of patient pain.

15. A system that detects ongoing pain in a non-responsive patient comprising:

a functional near-infrared spectroscopy system (NIRS) configured to capture optical imaging data from at least one cortical region of the brain of the non-responsive patient; and

a processor configured to:

measure, using the optical imaging data measured by the NIRS, a plurality of hemodynamic parameters in the at least one cortical region of the brain of the non-responsive patient; and

compare measured imaging data with patient pain based on control data and thereby recognizing pain in the non-responsive patient by converting the obtained fNIRS imaging data to cortical hemoglobin concentration changes using fractional power spectral density time courses to observe frequency changes; and

control an analgesic load delivered to the non-responsive patient as a result of the processor compare step.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the imaging data is obtained during a surgical procedure.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the control data include measured brain signal changes during a preoperative state.

18. The method of claim 5 , wherein the physiological stimulus is a variation of thermal pain stimulus.

19. The method of claim 9 , wherein collecting fNIRS imaging data while the non-responsive patient is under anesthesia or sedation during a surgical procedure includes:

collecting fNIRS imaging data while the non-responsive patient is under general anesthesia.

20. The method of claim 8 , wherein the continuously delivering pain stimulus to patient includes:

continuously delivering thermal pain stimulus to the patient.