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Topic · Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging

Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Techniques

Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Techniques is a research topic within Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging. Science Explorer counts 28k research works in it since 1950. 9.9% of them reached the world's top 10% most cited for their field and year.

This cluster of papers focuses on the use of optical imaging and spectroscopy techniques for biomedical applications, particularly in the field of neuroimaging and tissue characterization. It covers topics such as near-infrared spectroscopy, diffuse optical tomography, fluorescence molecular imaging, and the monitoring of brain oxygenation. The research also explores methods for simulating light-tissue interaction and measuring tissue optical properties.

  • Near-Infrared Spectroscopy
  • Optical Imaging
  • Tissue Optical Properties
  • Fluorescence Molecular Imaging
  • Diffuse Optical Tomography
  • Brain Oxygenation Monitoring
  • Functional Neuroimaging
  • Monte Carlo Simulation
  • Hyperspectral Imaging
  • Cerebral Blood Flow Measurement
Research works
28k
fractional, since 1950
In the world top 10%
2.8k
per year above
Top-10% rate
9.9%
share of its works in the world top 10%
Growth, 2018-21 → 2022-25
+10%
the tick is no change
Largest producer
United States
31% of the 10 largest, 2022-now
Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Techniques

This ranks research output and citation impact. It says nothing about the quality of diagnosis, treatment or care.

Which countries lead Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Techniques research?

By volume, the United States and China publish the most (1.3k and 1.2k works in 2022-now).

By volume, 2022-now

  1. 1 United States 1.3k works
  2. 2 China 1.2k works
  3. 3 United Kingdom 285 works
  4. 4 Germany 271 works
  5. 5 Japan 238 works
  6. 6 Russia 204 works
  7. 7 India 192 works
  8. 8 Canada 191 works
  9. 9 France 163 works
  10. 10 Italy 159 works

How concentrated that is

The same countries as shares of everything the list above accounts for. A node where two countries do two thirds of the work and one spread evenly across twelve read alike as a ranking and not at all alike here.

United States: 30.8%China: 28.4%United Kingdom: 6.8%Germany: 6.5%6 others listed: 27.5%31%largest
United States1,283 · 30.8%China1,182 · 28.4%United Kingdom285 · 6.8%Germany271 · 6.5%6 others listed1,148 · 27.5%

Shares of the rows listed above, not of the whole node.

Which institutions lead Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Techniques research?

By volume in 2022-now, Russian Academy of Sciences publishes the most Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Techniques research, followed by Harvard University and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.

By volume, 2022-now

  1. 1 Russian Academy of SciencesRussia 58 works
  2. 2 Harvard UniversityUnited States 57 works
  3. 3 Centre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueFrance 50 works
  4. 4 Chinese Academy of SciencesChina 47 works
  5. 5 University College LondonUnited Kingdom 34 works
  6. 6 Johns Hopkins UniversityUnited States 29 works
  7. 7 Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityChina 29 works
  8. 8 University of TorontoCanada 26 works
  9. 9 University of ZurichSwitzerland 25 works
  10. 10 Washington University in St. LouisUnited States 25 works

Who are the leading researchers in Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Techniques?

The most-cited researchers publishing on Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Techniques include Gregory Y.H. Lip, Karl John Friston and Dan J. Stein.

  1. 1 Gregory Y.H. Lip United Kingdom 311k citations
  2. 2 Karl John Friston United Kingdom 310k citations
  3. 3 Dan J. Stein South Africa 306k citations
  4. 4 Wei Huang China 267k citations
  5. 5 Bach Xuan Tran Vietnam 263k citations
  6. 6 Jean‐Louis Vincent Belgium 262k citations
  7. 7 Ben Zhong Tang China 261k citations
  8. 8 Kaj Blennow Sweden 247k citations
  9. 9 John C. Morris United States 241k citations
  10. 10 Tien Yin Wong Singapore 237k citations

Ranked by citations received across their whole record, among researchers with at least three works on this topic.

What are the most cited papers in Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Techniques?

The most cited paper in Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Techniques is "A component based noise correction method (CompCor) for BOLD and perfusion based fMRI" (Yashar Behzadi, Khaled Restom, Joy Liau et al., 2007), with 4,975 citations. Next come "Photoacoustic Tomography: In Vivo Imaging from Organelles to Organs" (4,338) and "Optical properties of biological tissues: a review" (4,004).

Most cited papers
#PaperReleasedCitations
1 A component based noise correction method (CompCor) for BOLD and perfusion based fMRI Yashar Behzadi, Khaled Restom, Joy Liau et al. · NeuroImage Open access 4 May 2007 4,975
2 Photoacoustic Tomography: In Vivo Imaging from Organelles to Organs Lihong V. Wang, Song Hu · Science Open access 23 Mar 2012 4,338
3 Optical properties of biological tissues: a review Steven L. Jacques · Physics in Medicine and Biology Open access 10 May 2013 4,004
4 Noninvasive, Infrared Monitoring of Cerebral and Myocardial Oxygen Sufficiency and Circulatory Parameters Frans F. Jöbsis · Science 23 Dec 1977 3,921
5 MCML—Monte Carlo modeling of light transport in multi-layered tissues Lihong V. Wang, Steven L. Jacques, Liqiong Zheng · Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine Jul 1995 3,333
All 100 most cited papers, with filters and sorting

Where is Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Techniques research done?

The largest centres of Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Techniques research in 2022-now are Beijing (China), Shanghai (China), London (United Kingdom) and Moscow (Russia).

Largest cities, 2022-now

  1. 1 BeijingChina 207 works
  2. 2 ShanghaiChina 113 works
  3. 3 LondonUnited Kingdom 107 works
  4. 4 MoscowRussia 87 works
  5. 5 BostonUnited States 78 works
  6. 6 Xi'anChina 70 works
  7. 7 TokyoJapan 70 works
  8. 8 GuangzhouChina 64 works
  9. 9 SeoulSouth Korea 62 works
  10. 10 ParisFrance 54 works
See Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Techniques on the map

Where is the best place to study Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Techniques?

Among universities, judged by research, Harvard University, University of Cambridge and ETH Zurich score highest, combining excellence, specialisation, size, growth and international reach. Research strength is one signal when choosing where to study; it does not measure teaching.

0%10%20%30%mean 15.53%fractional works in this field (log) →share of work in the world top 10% →University of Cambri…ETH ZurichHarvard UniversityUniversity of Zurich
above the meannear itbelow it

One dot per university in the first ten of the table below, at the default weights. The upper left is the interesting corner: small places doing unusually strong work.

Excellenceshare of its work in the world top 10%, 2022-now and all time averaged
40%
Specialisationhow much of its work is in this field, counted up to 10× the world share
10%
Sizeits output in this field, on a log scale
30%
Growthoutput growth, counted from -20% to +20%
10%
Internationalshare of its work with a co-author abroad
10%
Each slider sets a weight; the share it gets of the score is beside it.
#UniversityScoreTop 10%SpecialisationWorksGrowth
1Harvard UniversityUnited States 72.812.8%3.8×57 -6.4%
2University of CambridgeUnited Kingdom 71.523.9%3.5×20 +5.0%
3ETH ZurichSwitzerland 64.520.9%4.8×16 +12.3%
4University of ZurichSwitzerland 62.210.7%7.7×26 +18.3%
5Southern University of Science and TechnologyChina 60.621.0%4.4×11 +112.5%
6University College LondonUnited Kingdom 60.412.8%4.4×34 -24.9%
7Hong Kong Polytechnic UniversityChina 59.416.5%2.5×10 +123.4%
8Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityChina 55.214.1%2.1×29 +51.4%
9Fudan UniversityChina 54.515.0%2.8×21 +79.3%
10Imperial College LondonUnited Kingdom 54.57.6%4.4×21 +63.8%

Universities only. The score blends excellence (40%), size (30%), specialisation (10%), growth (10%), international reach (10%), 2022-now; growth compares 2018-21 with 2022-25 and counts up to +20%, since a jump from a small base is mostly noise.

Every institution in Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Techniques, country by country

Is Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Techniques research growing?

Output in 2022-2025 was 10% higher than in 2018-2021, peaking in 2025. The fastest-growing topics are Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Techniques.

still counting19801990200020102020
grewheldshrank

The same series as a ribbon: one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.

Its share of all research

Growing output can still be a shrinking share: all of science grows. This is Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Techniques as a percentage of every work published that year, 0.022% in 2024.

still counting0.020%0.040%Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Techniques0.024% in 202519801990200020102020

Fractional works of Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Techniques over all fractional works that year. How the balance of science has shifted.

How much of it reaches the world top 10%

Year by year.

still counting5%10%15%Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Techniques9.8% in 2025200020102020

Of each year's works in it, the share that reached the world's 10% most cited for their field and year. A field is the world for its own topics, so there is no other line to hold it against.

Which topics inside it are moving

Growth and decline on one axis around a shared zero. Two lists side by side hide the thing that matters: whether the growth dwarfs the decline, or the other way round.

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