Effect of pigment packaging on diffuse reflectance spectroscopy of samples containing red blood cells

We present the results of diffuse reflectance measurements made on the surface of a tissue-simulating phantom containing intact human erythrocytes. These measurements indicate that the absorption spectrum of hemoglobin in its natural environment is significantly different from that measured in homogeneous fluid solution, especially in the spectral regions of highest absorption. We show that this difference can be explained by the pigment packaging theory developed by Duysens [Biochim. Biophys. Acta 19, 1 (1956)] and that the adoption of basis spectra that take this effect into account improves the accuracy of fitting diffuse reflectance spectra.