Influence of glucose concentration on light scattering in tissue-simulating phantoms

The presence of glucose dissolved in an aqueous solution increases the refractive index of the solution and therefore has an influence on the scattering properties of any particles suspended within it. We present experimental data on the effect of glucose concentration on the scattering coefficient of a suspension of spherical polystyrene particles. The experimental results are in good agreement with Mie theory. The effect of glucose on light transport in highly scattering, tissue-simulating phantoms is demonstrated both experimentally and theoretically by application of diffusion theory. The possible application of this effect for noninvasive glucose monitoring of diabetic patients is discussed.