Prof. Shlomi Arnon

Non-invasive brain monitoring without bulky instrumentation, ionizing radiation, or high cost remains a major challenge in neuroimaging. Diffuse Optical Tomography (DOT) offers a safe and portable solution by using near-infrared light to probe tissue absorption and scattering. However, conventional DOT systems rely on large, fiber-dense arrays that limit their suitability for continuous or bedside use. In this work, we present a compact, scalp-mounted optical patch with integrated light sources and detectors for localized brain interrogation. Photon propagation through multilayer head tissues is modeled using Monte Carlo (MCX) simulations to evaluate sensitivity to tumor-induced optical variations. A deep-learning classifier is trained on simulated fluence data to detect tumor presence. Four source–detector configurations (6 × 5, 4 × 3, 3 × 2, and 2 × 1) are investigated, yielding classification accuracies of 95.8 %, 94.5 %, 90.7 %, and 77.7 %, respectively. The results demonstrate the feasibility of a thin, wearable DOT patch for continuous, non-invasive brain tumor monitoring.