Multispectral diffuse optical tomography with absorption and scattering spectral constraints.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Optics
• Medical Imaging
• Photonics

Background:

• Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) is a non-invasive imaging technique.
• Accurate reconstruction of tissue optical properties and scattering characteristics is crucial for DOT applications.
• Existing methods face challenges in simultaneously quantifying absorbers and scattering properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a continuous wave multispectral diffuse optical tomography (CW-MSDOT) method for simultaneous reconstruction of absorber concentrations (oxyhemoglobin, deoxyhemoglobin, water) and scattering particle volume fraction.
• To linearize the relationship between scattering properties and particle volume fraction for direct reconstruction.
• To validate the method using simulations, phantom, and in vivo experiments.

Main Methods:

• Developed a CW-MSDOT method incorporating absorption and scattering spectral prior constraints.
• Linearized the nonlinear relationship between the reduced scattering coefficient and particle volume fraction and size.
• Validated the technique through numerical simulations, phantom studies, and in vivo human subject experiments.

Main Results:

• Successfully reconstructed images of oxyhemoglobin, deoxyhemoglobin, water concentrations, and scattering particle volume fraction.
• Demonstrated the method's efficacy across simulations, phantoms, and clinical data.
• Observed significantly higher scattering particle volume fraction in malignant tumors compared to benign tumors.

Conclusions:

• The proposed CW-MSDOT method enables simultaneous and accurate reconstruction of tissue optical properties and scattering particle volume fraction.
• This technique holds promise for differentiating between malignant and benign tumors based on scattering properties.
• Further clinical validation is warranted to establish its diagnostic potential.