Investigation of detection limits for diffuse optical tomography systems: I. Theory and experiment

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Biomedical Imaging
• Optical Techniques

Background:

• Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) systems face challenges in determining detection limits.
• Accurate assessment of sensitivity and noise is crucial for DOT performance evaluation.
• Current methods often rely on extensive phantom measurements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a statistical test for predicting DOT system detection limits.
• To assess the spatial distribution of detection sensitivity for arbitrary geometries and noise.
• To determine the minimal detectable lesion size without phantom measurements.

Main Methods:

• Utilized simulated photon migration data.
• Incorporated a noise model derived from specific DOT hardware.
• Developed a statistical test to predict detection limits and sensitivity distribution.

Main Results:

• The statistical test accurately predicted DOT system detection limits.
• The method allowed for assessment of sensitivity across various geometries and noise levels.
• Minimal detectable lesion size was determined and compared favorably with phantom data.

Conclusions:

• The presented statistical test offers a robust, computationally efficient method for DOT system characterization.
• This approach eliminates the need for physical phantom measurements for sensitivity assessment.
• The findings enable better prediction of DOT system performance and detection capabilities.