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NIRS Meta Data

Sean Mullen edited this page Dec 29, 2020 · 8 revisions

This page specifies the meta-data for NIRS recordings.

If a stream has the content-type NIRS, we recommend that meta-data about the stream adheres to the structure and naming laid out below. While all meta-data is optional, we recommend that any stream should describe at least those tags marked with an * below (and their parent containers) .

<channels>                # per-channel meta-data 
  <channel>               # description of one channel (one per channel in the time series)
    <label>               # unique channel label; an example naming scheme that references 
                          # the source, detector and wavelength is: Src23-Dct6:750   
    <type>                # type of data measured in this channel. 
                          # Typically Intensity, which is assumed if unspecified; 
                          # but some devices may yield different or additional data types, e.g.:
                          # ** dOD: (delta) optical density 
                          # ** HbO, HbR: oxyhemoglobin, deoxyhemoglobin concentration
                          # ** HbT: Total hemoglobin concentration
                          # ** H2O, Lipid, CCO: water / lipid / Cytochrome c oxidase concentration
                          # ** mua, musp: Absorption coefficient, Scattering coefficient
                          # ** BFi: Blood flow index
    <measure>             # the name of the quantity being measured in this channel, where applicable 
                          # (depends on NIRS technology used). e.g.: 
                          # ** Amplitude 
                          # ** Phase (FD-NIRS)
                          # ** AC Amplitude (FD-NIRS)
                          # ** Fluorescence amplitude 
                          # ** Fluorescence phase (FD-NIRS)
    <unit>                # measurement unit for this channel, e.g.: lumens, micromolars, nanovolts
    <source>*             # unique identifier of the source; should match a `<probe><label>` (under probes)
    <detector>*           # unique identifier of the detector; should match a `<probe><label>`
    <wavelen>*            # nominal (excitation) wavelength, in nanometers;
                          # matches a `<probe><wavelens><wavelen>` if latter is specified
    <wavelen_measured>    # the actual (excitation) wavelength if measured, in nanometers
    <fluorescence>        # information related to fluorescence
      <wavelen>           # nominal fluorescence emission wavelength, in nanometers
                          # matches a `<probe><fluorescence><wavelens><wavelen>` if latter is specified 
      <wavelen_measured>  # actual fluorescence emission wavelength, if measured, in nanometers 
    </fluorescence>
    <illumination>        # illumination pattern used, matches an `<illumination><label>` if latter is specified
    <fd>                  # information specific to Frequency Domain (FD) NIRS
      <frequency>         # channel frequency, in Hz (FD-NIRS); 
                          # matches a frequency in `<probe><frequencies>` if latter is specified
    </fd>
    <td>                  # information specific to Time Domain (TD-Gated or TD-Moments) NIRS
      <delay>             # time delay, in picoseconds (for TD-Gated NIRS); 
                          # matches a time delay in `<probe><time_delays>` if latter is specified
      <width>             # time delay width, in picoseconds (for TD-Gated NIRS); 
                          # matches a width in `<probe><time_delays>` if latter is specified
      <order>             # moment order, as an integer representing an ordinal (for TD-Moments NIRS); 
                          # matches an order moment in <probe><time_delays> if latter is specified
    </td>
    <dcs>                 # information specific to Diffuse Correlation Spectroscopy (DCS)
      <delay>             # time delay for DCS measurements, in picoseconds
      <width>             # time delay width for DCS measurements, in picoseconds
    </dcs>
  </channel> 
</channels> 

<probes>                  # per-probe meta-data; 
  <probe>                 # description of a single probe
    <modality>            # NIRS modality, e.g.:
                          # ** CW: Continuous Wave
                          # ** FD: Frequency Domain
                          # ** TD-G: Time Domain Gated
                          # ** TD-M: Time Domain Moments
                          # ** DCS: Diffuse Correlation Spectroscopy 
                          # if unspecified, CW is assumed
    <function>*           # probe type based on its function: 
                          # ** Source
                          # ** Detector
    <label>*              # source/detector label (i.e., a number)
                          # referenced in <channel><source> or <channel><detector>
    <location>*           # measured location, relative to the fiducials (landmarks) specified in <fiducials>
                          # may be repeated if both 3D and 2D positions are specified
                          # for 2D positions, the missing axis (<Z>) should be empty 
      <X>                 # coordinate axis pointing from the center of the head to the right, in millimeters
      <Y>                 # coordinate axis pointing from the center of the head to the front, in millimeters
      <Z>                 # coordinate axis pointing from the center of the head to the top, in millimeters
    </location>
    <source>              # information specific to source probes; can include vendor-specific child tags
      <power>             # power for a given probe, in milliwatts
    </source>
    <detector>            # information specific to detector probes; can include vendor-specific child tags
      <gain>              # power gain of a given detector, in decibels
    </detector>
    <wavelens>            # list of wavelengths transmitted for this probe
      <wavelen>           # wavelength in nanometers; repeated for each wavelength 
    </wavelens>
    <fluorescence>        # information related to fluorescence 
      <wavelens>          # list of fluorescence emission wavelengths
       <wavelen>          # fluorescence emission wavelength, in nanometers; repeated for each wavelength
      </wavelens>
    </fluorescence>
    <fd>                  # information specific to Frequency-Domain NIRS (FD-NIRS)
      <frequencies>       # list of modulation or detection frequencies 
        <frequency>       # a frequency modulated or detected by this probe, in Hz
      </frequencies>
    </fd>
    <td>                  # information specific to Time-Domain NIRS (TD-Gated NIRS or TD-Moments NIRS)
      <time_delays>       # holds time delays, widths and moment orders
        <time_delay>      # description of a single time delay, may be repeated
          <delay>         # a time delay, in picoseconds
          <width>         # a time width, in picoseconds
          <order>         # a moment order of the temporal point spread function; integer (for TD-Moments)
        </time_delay>
      </time_delays>
    </td>
    <dcs>                 # information specific to Diffuse Correlation Spectroscopy (DCS)
      <time_delays>       # holds time delays, widths and moment orders
        <time_delay>      # description of a single time delay, may be repeated
          <delay>         # a time delay, in picoseconds
          <width>         # a time width, in picoseconds
        </time_delay>
       </time_delays>
    </dcs>
    <hardware>            # references the name of a probe hardware defined in <hardwares>, if specified
    <module>              # references the name of a module/group defined in <modules>, if specified
  </probe>
</probes>

<hardwares>               # information about optode/probe hardware 
    <hardware>            # describes one type of probe hardware; 
                          # repeated for each type of source or detector hardware used on this device 
                          # includes other vendor-specific tags as needed (e.g., spring type, light guide length
      <label>             # unique name of the hardware; referenced in <probe><hardware>
      <function>          # the function of the probe:
                          # ** Source
                          # ** Detector
      <manufacturer>      # manufacturer of the probe
      <model>             # model of the probe
      <type>              # type of source or detector hardware, e.g.:
                          # for sources: Laser, LED, Fluorescence (?)
                          # for detectors: SiPD, APD
      <surface>           # type of the contact surface (e.g., Plate, Pins, Bristle, Pad, Dual-Tip, Multi-Tip) 
      <mount>             # type of probe mount used (e.g., Spring-Loaded, Dock) 
    </hardware> 
</hardwares>

<modules>                 # a list of modules/groups of probes
  <module>                # information describing a module/group of probes 
                          # (may correspond to, e.g., docks, amplifiers, sensor bundles)
                          # may include other vendor-specific tags as needed
    <label>               # the name of the module
  </module>
</modules> 

<illuminations>           # information about device illumination patterns 
  <illumination>          # describes an illumination pattern; may be repeated
    <label>               # unique name of an illumination pattern (i.e., “bilateral”, a number, etc.) 
    <num_steps>           # the total number of steps in this illumination pattern 
    <duration>            # the duration of each step in the pattern, in microseconds
    <pulse>               # duration of source pulse or oscillation, in picoseconds, 
                          # if different the duration (e.g., for TD-NIRS)
    <sources>             # a list of sources firing simultaneously in this pattern
      <source>            # a source included in this pattern
        <label>           # the name of the source, should match a `<probe><label>`
        <step>            # the sequential step number when this source is fired, an integer (1-base)
      </source>           
    </sources>
  </illumination>
</illuminations>
 
<fiducials>               # locations of fiducials/landmarks (in the same space as the signal-carrying channels) 
  <origin>                # name of the coordinate system used to define the origin for all fiducials or channels
                          # common fiducials include:
                          # ** MNI (assumed if unspecified), Talairach, CTF
  <fiducial>              # information about a single fiducial/landmark (repeated for each one) 
    <label>*              # name of the location, e.g.:
                          # ** Nasion, Inion
                          # ** Cz 
                          # ** LPF, RPF
    <location>*           # measured location (same coordinate system as channel locations) 
      <X>                 # axis pointing from the center of the head (origin) to the right, in millimeters
      <Y>                 # axis pointing from the center of the head (origin) to the front, in millimeters
      <Z>                 # axis pointing from the center of the head (origin) to the top, in millimeters
    </location> 
  </fiducial>
</fiducials> 
 
<cap>                     # information about the NIRS cap 
                          # may include additional vendor-specific tags describing the features of the cap
  <manufacturer>          # manufacturer of the cap 
  <label>                 # unique label of the cap
  <size>                  # cap size (head circumference), in centimeters (e.g., 54, 56, 58) 
  <label_scheme>          # the labelling scheme used for montages (e.g., 10-20)
</cap> 
 
<acquisition>             # information about the signal acquisition device (amplifier/hub) 
  <manufacturer>          # manufacturer of the amplifier
  <model>                 # model name of the amplifier 
  <label>                 # unique label of the amplifier (e.g., serial number)
  <precision>             # the theoretical number of bits precision delivered by the amplifier 
                          # (typical values are 8, 16, 24, 32)
  <compensated_lag>       # amount of hardware/system lag that has been implicitly 
                          # compensated for in the stream's time stamps (in seconds) 
  <settings>              # vendor-specific settings of the amplifier 
    <setting>             # a vendor-specific setting, may be repeated 
      <label>             # name of the setting 
      <value>             # value of the setting
    </setting>
  </settings> 
</acquisition>
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