Thermal computed tomography for biological tissue reconstruction based on radiation balance

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Imaging
• Optical Physics
• Thermal Engineering

Background:

• Accurate structural reconstruction of biological tissues is crucial for medical diagnostics and research.
• Traditional imaging methods may have limitations in resolving fine structures in optically thin tissues.
• Developing novel non-invasive imaging techniques is essential for advancing biological studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and validate a novel thermal computed tomography (TCT) method for the structural reconstruction of optical-thin biological tissues.
• To establish a theoretical framework based on radiation balance for TCT.
• To provide a practical guide for parameter selection in TCT applications for biological tissues.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical analysis of thermal radiation balance between adjacent infinitesimals.
• Numerical simulations of a physical model to analyze influential factors and establish reconstruction criteria.
• Development and experimental validation of a TCT system.

Main Results:

• A theoretical basis for TCT using radiation balance was established.
• Numerical simulations identified key parameters and provided a criterion for selecting appropriate settings for biological tissue reconstruction.
• Experimental validation confirmed the feasibility and accuracy of the proposed TCT method.

Conclusions:

• The proposed thermal computed tomography method is feasible for structural reconstruction of optical-thin biological tissues.
• The study provides a valuable criterion for parameter selection in TCT.
• This work offers a significant reference for future applications of TCT in biological imaging and research.