# Raman spectroscopy as a non-invasive, transcutaneous tool for characterizing bone health

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER · 2022 · $37,968

## Abstract

Abstract
Osteoporosis is a multifactorial bone disease that causes bones to weaken and become more susceptible to
fracture. The prevalence of this disease increases with age, and women are twice as likely to be diagnosed than
men at comparable ages. Clinically, osteoporosis is diagnosed by measuring bone mineral density (BMD)
through dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Additional metrics are needed to augment BMD in order to increase
the sensitivity for fracture risk. Raman spectroscopy is an optical technique that measures molecule’s vibrational
modes, yielding a biochemical signature of the sample. From this biochemical signature, relative changes within
the bone mineralization and matrix are quantified and can aid in fracture risk assessment. By utilizing spatially
offset Raman spectroscopy (SORS), bone specimens can be measured transcutaneously and noninvasively,
however the measured signal will contain spectral peaks from the soft tissue and bone. Since both soft tissue
and bone contain type I collagen causing overlapping spectral peaks, the soft tissue signal must be suppressed.
To address this challenge, we have developed an intricate algorithm to remove the soft tissue spectra called
“top-layer subtraction via simultaneous over-constrained library-based decomposition” (SOLD/TLS) to accurately
characterize bone health. Our group has demonstrated that SORS can measure murine bones in vivo, and by
implementing SOLD/TLS, the soft tissue signal was suppressed, and that we can accurately predict bone
biomechanical properties. This proposal aims to validate our Raman spectroscopy techniques as a preclinical,
bone assessment tool. Here, we will focus on translating our methodologies to human measurements. The aims
of this project are: Aim 1) Determine optimal source-detector offsets to guide the design of a scaled up SORS
optical fiber bundle for reproducible transcutaneous measurements of metacarpals in human cadaver hands and
Aim 2) Demonstrate the potential of transcutaneous SORS measurements of metacarpal bones in diagnosing
osteoporotic hand samples. By completing these Aims, we will determine Raman spectroscopy’s capability to
serve as a preclinical tool for characterizing bone quality and health, to aid in fracture risk assessment.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10462040
- **Project number:** 1F31AR079841-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Christine Massie
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $37,968
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-05-01 → 2022-12-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10462040

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10462040, Raman spectroscopy as a non-invasive, transcutaneous tool for characterizing bone health (1F31AR079841-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10462040. Licensed CC0.

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