Fast algorithm to determine optical properties of a turbid medium from time-resolved measurements

After analytical expressions for the time-resolved reflectance are introduced from the diffusion approximation under the three most commonly used boundary conditions, a novel algorithm is demonstrated for determining the reduced scattering and the absorption coefficients from time-resolved reflectance (or backscatter) measurements at two positions on the surface of biotissue. The algorithm is straightforward and fast and involves only some simple mathematical operations, avoiding complicated iterative nonlinear fitting to the time-resolved curve. The derived reduced scattering coefficient is not affected by whatever boundary condition is applied. The algorithm was verified with time-resolved data from the Monte Carlo model. Both a semi-infinite medium and a turbid slab medium were tested. In contrast to the nonlinear fitting method, this algorithm allows both the scattering and the absorption coefficients to be determined to a high accuracy.