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Home » Products » Research & Scientific Instruments » fNIRS » fNIRs 2000M System

fNIRS 2000M System · fNIR Devices / BIOPAC — Brain activity measured with light — even on the move

A wireless fNIRS system for prefrontal cortex research. A sensor under the headband shines near-infrared light into the forehead and measures how blood oxygenation changes in the working cortex — at a computer, in a simulator, in VR or in the field. The control unit fits on the participant’s arm.

Request a quote How fNIRS works

18 channels4 light sources, 12 detectors

730 · 850 nmtwo wavelengths

≈ 1 hof recording on battery

fNIRSoft Proanalysis software included

Participant with a black fNIR Devices headband on the forehead; on her arm a white fNIR Imager 2000M unit connected to the sensor by cables

Sensor on the forehead · 730 / 850 nm Imager 2000M · wireless

How fNIRS works

Light that looks beneath the forehead

A working part of the brain needs more oxygen, so more oxygenated blood flows into it. fNIRS — functional near-infrared spectroscopy — detects this change with light. The sensor on the forehead shines light into the head and, a few centimeters away, measures how much light comes back. Less light means more hemoglobin absorbed it along the way — this is how a record of prefrontal cortex activity is created.

Δ oxy-Hb0

Δ deoxy-Hb0

Baseline — the participant is resting.

The cross-section and indicators are an illustration, not a device recording. Photo: fNIR Devices.

Emits two near-infrared wavelengthsThe sensor LEDs emit light at 730 and 850 nm — invisible to the eye and harmless. In this range, light passes through skin and bone and reaches the surface of the cortex.
Blood absorbs part of the lightHemoglobin with and without oxygen absorbs the two wavelengths differently. A detector 25 mm from the source receives light that has traveled an arc through the tissue; the changes concern the area within approx. 1–1.5 cm of the center of the source–detector pair.
The software calculates oxygenationFrom the intensity changes at both wavelengths, the software calculates — using the modified Beer-Lambert law — how much the concentration of oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin has changed. The result is shown on screen in real time, during the task.

Δ O2HbOxygenated hemoglobinconcentration change in µmol/L — rises in the working cortex

Δ HHbDeoxygenated hemoglobinconcentration change in µmol/L — usually falls as fresh blood flows in

Δ cHbTotal hemoglobinsum of both — approximates the change in blood volume in the measured area

raw 730 / 850Raw light intensityfor each wavelength and channel — for your own processing and quality control

fNIRS vs. fMRI. Both methods track the brain’s vascular response — the inflow of oxygenated blood to a working area. fNIRS measures it without a scanner, noise or immobilization: the participant sits at a desk, walks, drives a simulator or wears a VR headset. The measurement covers the cortical surface beneath the sensor — in this system the prefrontal cortex, associated with attention, working memory, planning and problem solving, among others.

What it measures · 18-channel sensor

Eighteen measurement points over the prefrontal cortex

Under the headband sits a flexible silicone sensor: 4 light sources and 12 detectors. Each source–detector pair is a channel — a separate oxygenation measurement point. Click a channel to see its recording.

Participant’s face with a black fNIR Devices headband on the forehead; sensor connectors at the sides of the headband

source (4)detector (12)channel (18)

Channel 7

center of forehead · source 2 – upper detector pair

Illustration — the data is generated by the browser (4 samples per second). Yellow bands: task blocks.

18channels: 4 LED sources (730 / 850 nm) and 12 silicon photodiodes

25 mmsource–detector separation

≈ 32 gweight of the 18-optode sensor — no pressure, no interference with the task

10 000flex cycles in sensor durability tests

The channel layout on the photo is illustrative; figures according to BIOPAC and fNIR Devices.

Software · COBI Studio and fNIRSoft Pro

From recording to activity map — two programs included

COBI Studio controls the device and records the session, fNIRSoft Pro processes and analyzes the data — no programming required. Both programs come with every 2000M kit, and one fNIRSoft license is included with the system.

COBI Studio — live view

Graph of changes in oxygenated hemoglobin (blue curve rises) and deoxygenated hemoglobin (red curve falls) during a task

new experiment wizard with participant data and description
baseline before recording, then recording with a single keyboard shortcut
live view of Δ oxy-Hb and Δ deoxy-Hb for each channel
manual keyboard markers (10) and markers from stimulus presentation software
editor for graph layout and channel grid
data and markers stored consistently across a study series

fNIRS data alongside physiology

Data from the system can be synchronized with and imported into BIOPAC AcqKnowledge — together with ECG, respiration, EDA or blood pressure recorded by the MP200.

AcqKnowledge window with over a dozen channels of raw fNIR data stacked one below another

Stimuli and markers

The system works with popular stimulus presentation software, including E-Prime and SuperLab, and with the BIOPAC VR platform — event markers go into the fNIRS recording.

E-PrimeSuperLabBIOPAC VRVizard · SightLab

fNIRSoft licenses

The 2000M kit includes the Pro edition. Additional licenses for further analysis workstations, single or shared, and updates are available separately.

Pro includedWindowsfS scripts

Why fNIRS 2000M from Interlab

A complete system with software — and physiology added from the same lab

A common route to fNIRS is a subscription-based multimodal platform, to which a sensor from another manufacturer is connected via an additional module. The 2000M is a complete system: hardware, recording and analysis in one kit, and we configure synchronization with BIOPAC physiology together with it.

fNIRS 2000M from Interlab vs. a subscription platform with competing hardware
Feature	fNIRS 2000M from Interlab	Subscription platform + competing hardware
fNIRS software	COBI Studio + fNIRSoft Pro included — recording, blocks, artifacts, maps and statistics	sensor manufacturer’s software + a separate fNIRS module of the platform, connected via an LSL stream
License to get started	fNIRSoft license included with every system	mandatory core module + additional modules; annual renewal
Synchronization with physiology	TTL output to the BIOPAC MP200 — recording start, end and markers in the AcqKnowledge file; both systems from the exclusive BIOPAC partner in Poland	further paid platform modules

Subscription platform: a popular multimodal platform with an fNIRS module; description based on its manufacturer’s website, as of 2026-10.

Man with an fNIR Devices headband on the forehead and the sensor cable

What you get from Interlab

fNIRS with implementation — from study design to first results

We help plan the study, set up the system and train your team.

Book an fNIRS demo

Exclusive BIOPAC partner in PolandSystem, licenses, updates and parts directly from the BIOPAC partner — no intermediaries.
Multimodal laboratoryfNIRS, BIOPAC physiology and Tobii eye tracking from one supplier — configured together.
Methodological consultingWe help plan task blocks, the baseline and sensor placement — before you buy.
Implementation and trainingWe set up the workstation and teach you to work with COBI Studio and fNIRSoft.
Grant supportTechnical descriptions and configurations for grant applications and tender specifications.
Local support in PolandTechnical and methodological support after purchase, including when expanding your lab.

Multimodal laboratory · fNIRS + BIOPAC + Tobii

Brain, gaze and body on one timeline

fNIRS shows how hard the prefrontal cortex was working. Eye tracking — what the participant was looking at. Physiological signals — how the body responded: heart, skin, breathing. Together they answer questions that no single method can, e.g. whether an increase in cognitive load went hand in hand with stress and a loss of attention on a key interface element.

fNIRS 2000M

Cortical oxygenation: Δ oxy-Hb, Δ deoxy-Hb and Δ total-Hb in 18 channels over the forehead.
TTL output: pulses at the start and end of the baseline and of the recording.
Markers: from stimulus presentation software (E-Prime, SuperLab) and from the keyboard.

BIOPAC MP200 and AcqKnowledge

Synchronization: a TTL pulse from the 2000M starts MP200 acquisition or goes to a digital line as an fNIRS segment marker.
Physiology: ECG, EDA, respiration, cardiac output, blood pressure, EMG, EEG — the MP200 has 16 analog channels up to 100 kHz.
Import: fNIRS data can be imported into AcqKnowledge and analyzed alongside physiological signals.

Eye tracking and VR

Tobii in AcqKnowledge: AcqKnowledge 6 supports Tobii eye trackers (Windows, Eye Tracking license) — gaze in the same recording as physiology.
VR: the system works with the BIOPAC VR platform; WorldViz SightLab sends event markers — including gaze events — to COBI and records oxy / deoxy values.

The signal tracks are an illustration. We configure and set up the fNIRS + BIOPAC + Tobii workstation together — the connection scheme is matched to your study protocol.

Mobility · Imager 2000M

The entire measurement unit on the participant’s arm

The Imager 2000M powers the sensor, collects data and sends it wirelessly to the computer running COBI Studio. It is worn on an arm strap, so the participant can walk, reach for objects and work at a workstation — with no cable to the desk.

fNIR Imager 2000M unit on a strap: two sensor sockets Sensor 1 and Sensor 2, power button, power adapter socket and synchronization connector

96 × 85 × 32 mmunit dimensions

≈ 1 hof recording on a full charge; charging ≈ 3 h

wirelessconnection between the unit and the computer — no cable to the desk

≈ 5 minfrom fitting the sensor to the start of recording

This page

fNIRS 2000M — research on the move

unit on the arm, wireless connection, battery
up to 18 channels over the prefrontal cortex
fNIRSoft Pro in every kit
simulators, VR, walking, workstation tasks, field studies

Research at a laboratory workstation

fNIRS C-Series

system for a permanent research workstation
the same ecosystem: COBI Studio and fNIRSoft
the choice when the participant sits at a computer and temporal resolution matters

See fNIRS C-Series →

Manufacturer kits

Three kits — from the system alone to a complete set with a computer and sensors

Every kit includes the Imager 2000M, COBI Studio and fNIRSoft Pro software, and three 18-channel sensors — spare pads come in handy for study series and for cleaning sensors between participants.

fNIR103M

Mobile Imaging

Imager 2000M (up to 18 channels)
fNIRSoft Pro and COBI Studio
3 × 18-channel sensors
2 sensor cables (left and right)
US/EU power adapter

For a lab that already has a research computer.

Close-up of the fNIR Devices headband on the participant’s forehead; sensor connector at the side of the headband

fNIR203M

Mobile Data Collection

everything in fNIR103M
notebook / tablet computer

A ready-to-use data collection station — also outside the building.

fNIR sensor — a flexible silicone pad with rows of sources and detectors

fNIR303M

Mobile Data Collection + Sensors

everything in fNIR203M
2 × 5-optode sensors and 2 × 6-optode sensors
phantom — a reference that mimics the optics of brain tissue, for testing sensors

When studies require smaller sensors and hardware quality control.

Applications

Where measuring the brain on the move pays off

Areas indicated by the manufacturer. The common denominator: the participant performs a real task instead of lying in a scanner.

fNIR headband at the back of the participant’s head, with the clasp and sensor connector

Cognitive workload and human performance

How much mental effort a task costs — for operators, air traffic controllers, drivers and pilots. The manufacturer reports a positive correlation between the fNIRS response and task load.

Neuroergonomics

Workstation and interface

Comparing panel variants, procedures or ergonomic layouts by their cognitive cost.

VR and simulators

Virtual environments

Controlled scenarios in VR headsets, synchronized with the fNIRS recording.

BCI

Brain–computer interfaces

Cortical oxygenation as a control signal in BCI research.

Clinical and rehabilitation

Neurorehabilitation and pain

Progress in neurological rehabilitation, pain assessment, aging research — also during gait.

Participant with an fNIR Devices headband on the forehead, looking to the side

Cognitive neuroscience

Attention, working memory, planning, problem solving.

Consumers and emotions

Neuromarketing, stress, emotions

Cortical response to an advertisement, a product or a stressful situation — outside the lab.

Specifications

Technical specifications

According to BIOPAC and fNIR Devices materials. The kit configuration is confirmed in the quote.

Participant with an fNIR headband on the forehead and the Imager 2000M unit on her arm

Technical specifications of the fNIRS 2000M System
Parameter	Value
Measurement
Method	continuous-wave near-infrared spectroscopy (CW fNIRS); calculations using the modified Beer-Lambert law
Quantities	Δ oxy-Hb, Δ deoxy-Hb, Δ total-Hb (µmol/L) and raw light intensity for each channel
Channels	up to 18max. 4 sources and 12 detectors
Sampling rate	up to 4 Hz
Wavelengths	730 nm and 850 nm — dual-wavelength LEDs
Area	prefrontal cortex (sensor on the forehead)
Sensor
18-channel sensor	12 detectors, 4 sources, 25 mm separation; weight approx. 32 g
Detectors and material	silicon photodiodes with integrated preamplifier; injection-molded silicone
Additional sensors	5- and 6-optode (in the fNIR303M kit); phantom for testing sensors
Imager 2000M unit
Communication	wireless
Power	battery: approx. 1 h of recording, approx. 3 h charging; power adapter 90–264 V AC, 50/60 Hz
Synchronization	1 TTL port (JST PH connector)
Dimensions	96 × 85 × 32 mm
Operating conditions	0–50 °C, humidity 10–90 % non-condensing
Software and computer
Software	COBI Studio (acquisition) and fNIRSoft Pro (analysis) included
Computer	Windows; i5 processor or better (quad-core recommended), min. 1 GB RAM (2 GB or more recommended)the fNIR203M and fNIR303M kits include a computer
Warranty	unit: 12 months; sensor: 3 months (limited)

Sources: biopac.com (fNIRS Mobile Imaging Systems product page, fNIRS page, fNIR Devices catalog, fNIR Systems product sheet) and fnirdevices.com, as of 2026-10.

Frequently asked questions

How does fNIRS differ from EEG?

EEG measures the electrical activity of neurons and responds within milliseconds. fNIRS measures changes in blood oxygenation in the cortex, which build up more slowly but are easier to attribute to a specific location under the sensor and are less sensitive to movement. The two methods are often combined in one study.

Is the measurement safe?

Yes. The system uses near-infrared LEDs — the manufacturer describes the method as non-invasive and safe. There is no ionizing radiation, magnetic field or noise, and the participant does not have to lie still.

How long does participant preparation take?

According to the manufacturer, recording can start within about 5 minutes: you place the sensor under the headband, check the signal in COBI Studio, record a baseline and start recording.

Can the participant move?

Yes — this is the main advantage of the 2000M version. The unit is worn on the arm and connects to the computer wirelessly, and the battery lasts for about an hour of recording. The manufacturer describes, among others, studies during walking.

Does hair interfere with the measurement?

The 2000M sensor sits on the forehead, below the hairline, over the prefrontal cortex. For other areas of the head the manufacturer offers separate sensors — ask us if your study requires them.

Can I combine fNIRS with eye tracking and physiology?

Yes. The 2000M sends TTL pulses to the BIOPAC MP200, and fNIRS data can be imported into AcqKnowledge, which also records physiology and supports Tobii eye trackers. As the exclusive BIOPAC partner in Poland, we supply all the systems and configure them together.

Can I see the system before buying?

Yes — book a demo and tell us about your study. Contact us.

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