Ultrafast time-gated imaging in thick tissues: a step toward optical mammography

Near-Infrared Transillumination for Macroscopic Functional Imaging of Animal Bodies

The classical transillumination technique has been revitalized through recent advancements in optical technology, enhancing its applicability in the realm of biomedical research. With a new perspective on near-axis scattered light, we have harnessed near-infrared (NIR) light to visualize intricate internal light-absorbing structures within animal bodies. By leveraging the principle of differentiation, we have extended the applicability of the Beer-Lambert law even in cases of scattering-dominant media, such as animal body tissues. This approach facilitates the visualization of dynamic physiological changes occurring within animal bodies, thereby enabling noninvasive, real-time imaging of macroscopic functionality in vivo. An important challenge inherent to transillumination imaging lies in the image blur caused by pronounced light scattering within body tissues. By extracting near-axis scattered components from the predominant diffusely scattered light, we have achieved cross-sectional imaging of animal bodies. Furthermore, we have introduced software-based techniques encompassing deconvolution using the point spread function and the application of deep learning principles to counteract the scattering effect. Finally, transillumination imaging has been elevated from two-dimensional to three-dimensional imaging. The effectiveness and applicability of these proposed techniques have been validated through comprehensive simulations and experiments involving human and animal subjects. As demonstrated through these studies, transillumination imaging coupled with emerging technologies offers a promising avenue for future biomedical applications.

Time-of-flight imaging in fog using multiple time-gated exposures

We propose a time-of-flight measurement algorithm for depth and intensity that is robust to fog. The key idea of the algorithm is to compensate for the scattering effects of fog by using multiple time-gating and assigning one time-gated exposure for scattering property estimation. Once the property is estimated, the depth and intensity can be reconstructed from the rest of the exposures via a physics-based model. Several experiments with artificial fog show that our method can measure depth and intensity irrespective of the traits of the fog. We also confirm the effectiveness of our method in real fog through an outdoor experiment.

Prior-information-free single-shot scattering imaging beyond the memory effect

Imaging beyond the memory effect (ME) is critical to seeing through the scattering media. Methods proposed before have suffered from invasive point spread function measurement or the availability of prior information of the imaging targets. In this Letter, we propose a prior-information-free single-shot scattering imaging method to exceed the ME range. The autocorrelation of each imaging target is separated blindly from the autocorrelation of the recorded dual-target speckle via Fourier spectrum guessing and iterative energy constrained compensation. Working together with phase retrieval, dual targets exceeding the ME range can be reconstructed via a single shot. The effectiveness of the algorithm is verified by simulated experiments and a real imaging system.

Quantitative subsurface imaging in strongly scattering media

We present a method to obtain quantitatively accurate images of small obstacles or inhomogeneities situated near the surface of a strongly scattering medium. The method uses time-resolved measurements of backscattered light to form the images. Using the asymptotic solution of the radiative transfer equation for this problem, we determine that the key information content in measurements is modeled by a diffusion approximation that is valid for small source-detector distances, and shallow penetration depths. We simplify this model further by linearizing the effect of the inhomogeneities about the known background optical properties using the Born approximation. The resulting model is used in a two-stage imaging algorithm. First, the spatial location of the inhomogeneities are determined using a modification of the multiple signal classification (MUSIC) method. Using those results, we then determine the quantitative values of the inhomogeneities through a least-squares approximation. We find that this two-stage method is most effective for reconstructing a sequence of one-dimensional images along the penetration depth corresponding to null source-detector separations rather than simultaneously using measurements over several source-detector distances. This method is limited to penetration depths and distances between boundary measurements on the order of the scattering mean-free path.

Time-Resolved Diffuse Optical Spectroscopy and Imaging Using Solid-State Detectors: Characteristics, Present Status, and Research Challenges

Diffuse optical spectroscopy (DOS) and diffuse optical imaging (DOI) are emerging non-invasive imaging modalities that have wide spread potential applications in many fields, particularly for structural and functional imaging in medicine. In this article, we review time-resolved diffuse optical imaging (TR-DOI) systems using solid-state detectors with a special focus on Single-Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPADs) and Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs). These TR-DOI systems can be categorized into two types based on the operation mode of the detector (free-running or time-gated). For the TR-DOI prototypes, the physical concepts, main components, figures-of-merit of detectors, and evaluation parameters are described. The performance of TR-DOI prototypes is evaluated according to the parameters used in common protocols to test DOI systems particularly basic instrumental performance (BIP). In addition, the potential features of SPADs and SiPMs to improve TR-DOI systems and expand their applications in the foreseeable future are discussed. Lastly, research challenges and future developments for TR-DOI are discussed for each component in the prototype separately and also for the entire system.

Single-shot real-time video recording of a photonic Mach cone induced by a scattered light pulse

Ultrafast video recording of spatiotemporal light distribution in a scattering medium has a significant impact in biomedicine. Although many simulation tools have been implemented to model light propagation in scattering media, existing experimental instruments still lack sufficient imaging speed to record transient light-scattering events in real time. We report single-shot ultrafast video recording of a light-induced photonic Mach cone propagating in an engineered scattering plate assembly. This dynamic light-scattering event was captured in a single camera exposure by lossless-encoding compressed ultrafast photography at 100 billion frames per second. Our experimental results are in excellent agreement with theoretical predictions by time-resolved Monte Carlo simulation. This technology holds great promise for next-generation biomedical imaging instrumentation.

Overview of diffuse optical tomography and its clinical applications

Near-infrared diffuse optical tomography (DOT), one of the most sophisticated optical imaging techniques for observations through biological tissue, allows 3-D quantitative imaging of optical properties, which include functional and anatomical information. With DOT, it is expected to be possible to overcome the limitations of conventional near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) as well as offering the potential for diagnostic optical imaging. However, DOT has been under development for more than 30 years, and the difficulties in development are attributed to the fact that light is strongly scattered and that diffusive photons are used for the image reconstruction. The DOT algorithm is based on the techniques of inverse problems. The radiative transfer equation accurately describes photon propagation in biological tissue, while, because of its high computation load, the diffusion equation (DE) is often used as the forward model. However, the DE is invalid in low-scattering and/or highly absorbing regions and in the vicinity of light sources. The inverse problem is inherently ill-posed and highly undetermined. Here, we first summarize NIRS and then describe various approaches in the efforts to develop accurate and efficient DOT algorithms and present some examples of clinical applications. Finally, we discuss the future prospects of DOT.

Depth-resolved measurements with elliptically polarized reflectance spectroscopy

The ability of elliptical polarized reflectance spectroscopy (EPRS) to detect spectroscopic alterations in tissue mimicking phantoms and in biological tissue in situ is demonstrated. It is shown that there is a linear relationship between light penetration depth and ellipticity. This dependence is used to demonstrate the feasibility of a depth-resolved spectroscopic imaging using EPRS. The advantages and drawbacks of EPRS in evaluation of biological tissue are analyzed and discussed.

Study of a simple model for the transition between the ballistic and the diffusive regimes in diffusive media

A Monte Carlo simulation was utilized to investigate a simple model for the transition between the ballistic and the diffusive regimes in diffusive media. The simulation focuses on the propagation of visible and near-infrared light in biological tissues. This research has mainly two findings: (1) the transition can be described, as was found experimentally, with good accuracy by only two terms (ballistic and diffusive). (2) The model can be utilized for cases where the absorption coefficient is not negligible compared to the scattering coefficient by adding a power-law prefactor to the diffusive term.

Visualization of acceleration in multiphase fluid interactions

Probing the dynamics of structures in turbid media is important for understanding the internal forces that drive the time evolution of many fluid systems; the breakup of fuel injection sprays is a prime example. We demonstrate a three-pulse configuration for time-gated ballistic imaging, applied to a turbulent, steady spray allowing the acquisition of time-correlated image data. Coupled with targeted region-matching analysis, the detected image triplets are used to generate time-resolved velocity and acceleration vectors representing motion and forces involved in spray development.

Finite-size effect in light transmission through highly forward scattering media at grazing angles

We present a theoretical study of light transmission through a disordered medium with large (compared to the light wavelength) inhomogeneities. Both numerical integration and analytic treatments of the radiative transfer equation are performed. An effect of the single-scattering phase function on the total transmittance is found in a subdiffusion thickness range. The effect reveals itself at grazing angles of incidence and originates from small-angle multiple scattering of light. A simple analytic formula for the total transmittance is derived. Our results are in good agreement with data of independent numerical calculations.

Cone-shell Raman spectroscopy (CSRS) for depth-sensitive measurements in layered tissue

We report the development of a depth-sensitive Raman spectroscopy system using the configuration of cone-shell excitation and cone detection. The system uses a 785 nm diode laser and three identical axicons for Raman excitation of the target sample in the form of a hollow conic section. The Raman scattered light from the sample, passed through the same (but solid) conic section, is collected for detection. Apart from its ability of probing larger depths (~ few mm), an important attraction of the system is that the probing depths can be varied by simply varying the separation between axicons in the excitation arm. Furthermore, no adjustment is required in the sample arm, which is a significant advantage for noncontact, depth-sensitive measurement. Evaluation of the performance of the developed setup on nonbiological phantom and biological tissue sample demonstrated its ability to recover Raman spectra of layers located at depths of ~2-3 mm beneath the surface.

Imaging in scattering media using correlation image sensors and sparse convolutional coding

Correlation image sensors have recently become popular low-cost devices for time-of-flight, or range cameras. They usually operate under the assumption of a single light path contributing to each pixel. We show that a more thorough analysis of the sensor data from correlation sensors can be used can be used to analyze the light transport in much more complex environments, including applications for imaging through scattering and turbid media. The key of our method is a new convolutional sparse coding approach for recovering transient (light-in-flight) images from correlation image sensors. This approach is enabled by an analysis of sparsity in complex transient images, and the derivation of a new physically-motivated model for transient images with drastically improved sparsity.

Modulated fluorophore signal recovery buried within tissue mimicking phantoms

Optically modulated fluorescence from ∼140 nM Cy5 is visualized when embedded up to 6 mm within skin tissue mimicking phantoms, even in the presence of overwhelming background fluorescence and scatter. Experimental and finite element analysis (FEA)-based computational models yield excellent agreement in signal levels and predict biocompatible temperature changes. Using synchronously amplified fluorescence image recovery (SAFIRe), dual-laser excitation (primary laser: λ = 594 nm, 0.29 kW/cm(2); secondary laser: λ = 710 nm, 5.9 kW/cm(2), intensity-modulated at 100 Hz) simultaneously excites fluorescence and dynamically optically reverses the dark state buildup of primary laser-excited Cy5 molecules. As the modulated secondary laser both directly modulates Cy5 emission and is of lower energy than the collected Cy5 fluorescence, modulated Cy5 fluorescence in phantoms is free of obscuring background emission. The modulated fluorescence emission due to the secondary laser was recovered by Fourier transformation, yielding a specific and unique signature of the introduced fluorophores, with largely background-free detection, at excitation intensities close to the maximum permissible exposure (MPE) for skin. Experimental and computational models agree to within 8%, validating the computational model. As modulated fluorescence depends on the presence of both lasers, depth information as a function of focal position is also readily obtained from recovered modulated signal strength.

Low-coherence enhanced backscattering from highly forward scattering media

We present a theoretical basis for calculation of the angular profile of the coherent backscattering intensity under low spatial coherence illumination. We take into account two contributions to the intensity, namely, the diffusion contribution and the contribution from the waves that experience the small-angle multiple scattering before and after single deflection in the backward direction. The latter contribution describes transport of light at subdiffusion length scales and is responsible for the wings of the backscattering angular profile. Our results are in good agreement with data of Monte-Carlo simulations and experiment.

Monitoring the response to primary medical therapy for breast cancer using three- dimensional time-resolved optical mammography

Primary medical therapy is used to reduce tumour size prior to surgery in women with locally advanced breast cancer. Optical tomography is a functional imaging technique using near- infrared light to produce three-dimensional breast images of tissue oxygen saturation and haemoglobin concentration. Its advantages include the ability to display quantitative physiological information, and to allow repeated scans without the hazards associated with exposure to ionising radiation. There is a need for a non-invasive functional imaging tool to evaluate response to treatment, so that non-responders can be given the opportunity to change their treatment regimen. Here, we evaluate the use of optical tomography for this purpose. Four women with newly diagnosed breast cancer who were about to undergo primary medical therapy gave informed and voluntary consent to take part in the study. Changes in physiological and optical properties within the tumour were evaluated during the course of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Optical imaging was performed prior to treatment, after the first cycle of chemotherapy, halfway through, and on completion of chemotherapy. Images of light absorption and scatter at two wavelengths were produced, from which images of total haemoglobin concentration and oxygen saturation were derived. All patients that showed a good or complete response to treatment on MRI showed a corresponding recovery in the haemoglobin concentration images. Changes in mean tumour total haemoglobin concentration could be seen four weeks into treatment. The tumour oxygen saturation was low compared to background in three out of four patients, and also showed a return to baseline over treatment. Optical imaging of the breast is feasible during primary medical therapy and can be used to assess response to treatment over six months.

Time-resolved optical mammography and its preliminary clinical results

We have been developing an optical mammography prototype consisting of a multi-channel time-resolved spectroscopy system for breast cancer screening. The system utilizes the time-correlated single photon counting method, and the detector modules and the signal processing circuits were custom-made to obtain a high signal to noise ratio and high temperature stability with a high temporal resolution. Pulsed light generated by a Ti: Sapphire laser was irradiated to the breast, and the transmitted light was collected by optical fibers placed on the surface of a hemispherical gantry filled with an optical matching fluid. To reconstruct a 3D image of the breast, we employed a method using a time-resolved photon path distribution based on the assumption that scattering and absorption are independent of each other. We verified the possibility of human breast imaging by using a three-dimensional phantom model, which provides a simulation of human breast cancer, in the gantry. The clinical study was also started in January 2007. In a comparative study with conventional modalities, the breast cancers were detected as regions of optically higher absorption. Moreover, the results suggest that optical mammography is useful in monitoring the effects of chemotherapy.

Image time-correlation, dynamic light scattering, and birefringence for the study of the response of anisometric colloids to external fields

In this paper, a detailed description of equipment is given, specially designed to characterize the response of non-spherical colloids to external fields. To characterize slow structural changes on a large length scale we developed an image correlation method, fast dynamics on the colloidal-particle level is probed by means of a vertically mounted, small angle dynamic light scattering setup, while the orientational order (induced by the external field) is measured with a birefringence setup with off-normal incidence. The performance of this in situ set of instruments is illustrated by experiments on concentrated dispersions of very long and thin, charged colloidal rods (fd-virus particles) in external electric fields. Here, the frequency of the field is sufficiently low to polarize electrical double layers, leading to additional inter-colloidal interactions which are found to give rise to phase/state transitions and dynamical states (K. Kang and J. K. G. Dhont, Soft Matter 6, 273, 2010).

Optical imaging of hidden objects behind clothing

Optical impulse-response characterization of diffusive media can be of importance in various applications, among them optical imaging in the security and medical fields. We present results of an experimental technique that we developed for acquiring the impulse response, based upon the Kramers-Kronig algorithm, and have been applied for optical imaging of objects hidden behind clothing. We demonstrate three-dimensional imaging with 5mm depth resolution between diffusive layers.

Extraction of near-axis scattered light for transillumination imaging

To suppress the scattering effect in transillumination imaging, a technique was developed to extract a near-axis scattered light (NASL) component from diffused light through a scattering medium. A diffuser is inserted between the light source and the incident surface of a scattering medium. We can extract the NASL component by subtracting the light intensity at the output surface with a diffuser from that without a diffuser. The principle to determine the subtraction weight was presented. In experiments using model phantoms of mammalian tissue, the proposed technique's effectiveness was verified. The cross-section of the propagation area of scattered light was confined to an 8% area around the optical axis of the incident light beam. The usefulness of this technique was demonstrated by transillumination imaging of the blood column through a diffuse medium.

Non-tissue-like features in the time-of-flight distributions of plastic tissue phantoms

We measure high-temporal-resolution time-of-flight distributions of picosecond laser pulses in the visible and near-infrared, scattered in the forward direction by solid and liquid phantoms, and compare them to those obtained by using ex vivo tissues. We demonstrate that time-of-flight distributions from solid phantoms made of Delrin, Nylon, and Teflon are modulated by ripples that are absent in the biological samples and disappear when the temporal and/or angular resolution of the measuring apparatus is decreased. This behavior prevents the use of such materials as tissue phantoms when spatial mode and time selection are required, such as in imaging methods exploiting early arriving photons.

Subsurface bioimaging using angular domain optical backscattering illumination

While coherence or time domain optical tomography within highly scattering media observes the shortest path photons over the dominant randomly scattered background light, backscattering angular domain imaging employs micromachined collimators to detect photons within small angles of laser light reflected from the high scattering medium. These angular filters are composed of micromachined semicircular silicon collimator channels. By illuminating from the front side phantom test objects were observed in scattering media up to 3 mm deep in the medium at effective scattered to ballistic ratios from 1:1 to greater than 3E12:1. Results from carbon coating the collimators using a sputtering system to decrease internal reflectivity are shown.

Transillumination optical tomography of tissue-engineered blood vessels: a Monte Carlo simulation

A Monte Carlo technique has been developed to simulate the transillumination laser computed tomography of tissue-engineered blood vessels. The blood vessel was modeled as a single cylinder layer mounted on a tubular mandrel. Sequences of images were acquired while rotating the mandrel. The tomographic image was reconstructed by applying a standard Radon transform. Angular discrimination was applied to simulate a spatial filter, which was used to reject multiply scattered photons. The simulation results indicated that the scattering effect can be overcome with angular discrimination because of the thin tissue thickness. However, any refractive-index mismatch among the tissue, the surrounding media, and the mandrel could produce significant distortions in the reconstructed image.

Light transport in two-layer tissues

We study theoretically light backscattered by tissues using the radiative transport equation. In particular we consider a two-layered medium in which a finite slab is situated on top of a half space. We solve the one-dimensional problem in which a plane wave is incident normally on the top layer and is the only source of light. The solution to this problem is obtained formally by imposing continuity between the solutions for the upper and lower layers. However, we are interested solely in probing the top layer. Assuming that the optical properties in the lower layer are known, we remove it from the problem yielding a finite slab problem by prescribing an alternate boundary condition. This boundary condition is derived using the theory of Green's functions and is exact. Hence, one needs only to solve the transport equation in a finite slab using this alternate boundary condition. We derive an asymptotic solution for the case when the slab is optically thin. We extend these results to the three-dimensional problem using Fourier transforms. These results are validated by comparisons with numerical solutions for the entire two-layered problem.

Spectral ballistic imaging: a novel technique for viewing through turbid or obstructing media

We propose a new method for viewing through turbid or obstructing media. The medium is illuminated with a modulated cw laser and the amplitude and phase of the transmitted (or reflected) signal is measured. This process takes place for a set of wavelengths in a certain wide band. In this way we acquire the Fourier transform of the temporal output. With this information we can reconstruct the temporal shape of the transmitted signal by computing the inverse transform. The proposed method benefits from the advantages of the first-light technique: high resolution, simple algorithms, insensitivity to boundary condition, etc., without suffering from its main deficiencies: complex and expensive equipment.

Perturbation model to predict the effect of spatially varying absorptive inhomogeneities in diffusing media

We develop a perturbation model to predict the effect of a spatially varying absorptive inhomogeneities in a diffusing slab. The model is based on a perturbation solution of diffusion equation derived for a refractive index mismatch between the scattering slab and the surrounding medium, through the use of the extrapolated boundary conditions. We show that the model allows to compute the time-dependent relative change in the transmitted signal resulting from the presence of the inclusion. We derive simplified expressions for the perturbed time-resolved transmittance that allows to implement an efficient fitting procedure for obtaining the optical properties of the absorptive inclusion. The accuracy of the predictions of the model was investigated through comparison with the results of the Finite Element Method to solve the time-dependent diffusion equation numerically. The procedure is used to obtain the absorption perturbation parameter of an absorptive inclusion characterized by spatially dependent Gaussian distribution of its absorption coefficient located at the midplane of a scattering slab.

Full-color imaging through a turbid medium by use of photorefractive coherence gating and a technique to separate the recording spaces

We demonstrate full-color imaging through a turbid medium by use of photorefractive coherence gating and a technique to separate the recording space of each color from those of the other colors. We found that the recording spaces must be separate when a multicolor image is recorded in a photorefractive crystal to prevent the interference of the holograms with one another. For full-color imaging we used a He-Cd white-light laser, which is compact and useful for full-color holography. Full-color-image retrieval is demonstrated through five mean free paths of a turbid medium.

Near-infrared optical imaging of the breast with model-based reconstruction

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES

Near-infrared diffuse optical imaging may offer enhanced contrast resolution over that of the existing technologies for detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. The authors report quantitative absorption and scattering images of the human breast with model-based reconstruction methods using near-infrared continuous-wave tomographic data.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

An automatic, multichannel optical imaging system was used to image the breasts of nine women: four with infiltrating ductal carcinomas, one with infiltrating lobular carcinoma, one with fibroadenoma, and three control subjects with no breast lesion. The image reconstruction methods are centered on the finite element solution of photon diffusion in breast tissue.

RESULTS

Substantial contrast between tumor and adjacent parenchyma was observed. Images of the control subjects showed homogeneous optical features. In the six women with breast lesions, the locations and sizes of tumors imaged optically were accurate and consistent with the mammographic findings.

CONCLUSION

The results of this pilot study show that cancers as small as 5 mm can be quantitatively imaged. In addition, preliminary data from the scattering images suggest that benign and malignant tumors can be noninvasively differentiated with optical imaging.

Three-dimensional imaging of a tissuelike phantom by diffusion optical tomography

Three-dimensional imaging of three small absorbers embedded in a tissuelike cylindrical solid phantom was conducted by diffusion optical tomography. Each absorber, which was 10 mm in diameter and 10 mm high, was located on the same plane in a phantom, which was 80 mm in diameter and 140 mm high. The optical properties of the phantom were similar to those of the human breast; that is, one absorber had lower absorption and the other two absorbers had higher absorption than that of the phantom. Reemission from the phantom was measured with a multichannel photon counting system. Image reconstruction was performed by our average value method. We were able to distinguish lower and higher absorbers quantitatively. This result shows that our method can diagnose not only the existence of but also a morbid state of breast cancer.

In vitro optical characterization and discrimination of female breast tissue during near infrared femtosecond laser pulses propagation

Ultrashort infrared laser pulses were transmitted through excised female breast tissue. The resulted signal was recorded by a streak camera with a time resolution of the order of a few ps. Experimental data of the temporal spread of the ultrashort pulse during the transmission through the tissue have been analyzed using the Patterson analytical expression derived from the diffusion theory. This resulted in the calculation of the absorption and reduced scattering coefficients, which are related to the optical characteristics of each type of tissue. The goal of the study was to use the theoretical values of the coefficients to discriminate different kinds of tissue.

Elimination of beam walk-off in low-coherence off-axis photorefractive holography

Whole-field photorefractive holography can be combined with low-coherence interferometry for three-dimensional imaging and other applications, including imaging through turbid media, but the off-axis holographic recording geometry results in a limited field of view when light of low temporal coherence is used. We show that tilting the energy fronts with respect to the wave fronts by use of prisms can eliminate this problem and point out that this approach will be useful for many linear and nonlinear wave-mixing experiments.

Ballistic attenuation of low-coherence optical fields

Using a novel experimental geometry, we measured the ballistic attenuation of low-coherence optical fields propagating in multiple-scattering media. The high dynamic range and the angular filtering capability permit detecting the ballistic component through random media thicker than 20 mean free paths. Owing to the accuracy of the technique, we observe deviations from the standard Lambert-Beer law that are induced by the broad incident optical spectrum. We discuss the significance of these observations, their dependence on the type of scattering, and several potential applications.

Propagation of polarized light in turbid media: simulated animation sequences

A time-resolved Monte Carlo technique was used to simulate the propagation of polarized light in turbid media. Calculated quantities include the reflection Mueller matrices, the transmission Mueller matrices, and the degree of polarization (DOP). The effects of the polarization state of the incident light and of the size of scatterers on the propagation of DOP were studied. Results are shown in animation sequences.

Time-domain transillumination of biological tissues with terahertz pulses

We present time-domain transmission imaging of an opaque structure in pork-fat tissue obtained with a terahertz (THz) field sampling technique. Compared with imaging with near-infrared pulses, the terahertz sampling technique shows significantly enhanced contrast, as a result of low scattering. For enhanced spatial resolution, we show mid-infrared THz imaging of onion cells. Water absorption of THz pulse in muscle tissues is discussed.

Two-dimensional time-resolved direct imaging through thick biological tissues: a new step toward noninvasive medical imaging

We report an original two-dimensional time-resolved direct imaging method for transillumination optical tomography that combines the time-gating and forward phase-conjugation properties of type II degenerate parametric amplification. An object with subcentimeter resolution embedded in 4-cm-thick chicken breast tissue was imaged with a signal-to-noise ratio of 2.

Femtosecond single-shot correlation system: a time-domain approach

We introduce, analyze, and experimentally demonstrate what to the best of our knowledge is a new pulse correlation technique that is capable of real-time conversion of a femtosecond pulse sequence into its spatial image. Our technique uses a grating at the entrance of the system, thus introducing a transverse time delay (TTD) into the transform-limited reference pulse. The shaped signal pulses and the TTD reference pulse are mixed in a nonlinear optical crystal (LiB(3)O(5)), thus producing a second-harmonic field that carries the spatial image of the temporal shaped signal pulse. We show that the time scaling of the system is set by the magnification of the anamorphic imaging system as well as by the grating frequency and that the time window of the system is set by the size of the grating aperture. Our experimental results show a time window of approximately 20 ps. We also show that the chirp information of the shaped pulse can be recovered by measurement of the spectrum of the resulting second-harmonic field.

Time-domain optical imaging: discrimination between scattering and absorption

A technique for discriminating between scattering and absorbing inclusions located in the center of a scattering slab is presented. The technique is based on an empirical model that provides a simple mathematical expression to describe the change in the time-resolved transmission resulting from the presence of an inclusion. Experimental results from various configurations show that the technique allows for proper recognition of the type of an inclusion whether it is scattering or absorbing. This technique is a significant step toward tissue differentiation.

Coherence and polarization of light propagating through scattering media and biological tissues

The degree of polarization of light propagating through scattering media was measured as a function of the sample thickness in a Mach-Zehnder interferometer at a wavelength of lambda = 633 nm. For polystyrene microspheres of diameters 200, 430, and 940 nm, depolarization began to appear for thicknesses larger than 23, 19, and 15 scattering mean free paths (SMFP's), respectively, where the coherently detected scattered component dominates the ballistic component. For large particles (940 nm) the initial polarization survived partially in the scattering regime and progressively vanished up to the detection limit of our setup. This phenomenon was similarly observed in diluted blood from 12.5 to 280 SMFP's. Beyond this thickness the fluctuating parallel and crossed components of polarization became random. A dual-channel interferometer allowed us to detect simultaneously the low-frequency fluctuations of both polarized components through a few millimeters in liver tissue.

Frequency-domain fluorescent diffusion tomography: a finite-element-based algorithm and simulations

We present a finite-element-based algorithm for reconstruction of fluorescence lifetime and yield in turbid media, using frequency-domain data. The algorithm is based on a set of coupled diffusion equations that describe the propagation of both excitation and fluorescent emission light in multiply scattering media. Centered on Newton's iterative method, we implemented our algorithm by using a synthesized scheme of Marquardt and Tikhonov regularizations. A low-pass spatial filter is also incorporated into the algorithm for enhancing image reconstruction. Simulation studies using both noise-free and noisy data have been performed with the nonzero photon density boundary conditions. Our results suggest that quantitative images can be produced in terms of fluorescent lifetime and yield values and location, size, and shape of heterogeneities within a circular background region.

Imaging with diffusing light: an experimental study of the effect of background optical properties

The overall image quality and diagnostic potential of time-resolved transmittance imaging depend on sensitivity to optical contrast, capacity to discriminate scattering from absorption contributions, and spatial resolution. We have investigated experimentally the effects of the optical properties of the background medium on the overall image quality of optical imaging based on fitting the experimental data to the solution of the diffusion equation and on time gating. Images were acquired from phantoms with different background optical properties, while the optical contrast between inhomogeneities and background is kept constant. Data were collected every 0.2 cm over a 6 cm x 6 cm area from realistic tissue phantoms containing cylindrical inhomogeneities (1 cm high and 1 cm in diameter) embedded in a 5-cm-thick turbid slab. The optical coefficients of the background were varied in the ranges of 5-15 cm(-1) for transport scattering and 0.02-0.08 cm(-1) for absorption. The optical contrast for the inclusions was kept at values of -50% and +50% for the scattering and -75% and +300% for the absorption. The results show that both high scattering and high absorption are beneficial.

Improved continuous light diffusion imaging in single- and multi-target tissue-like phantoms

The image reconstruction enhancement schemes of total variation minimization, dual meshing and iterative spatial filtering have been applied to laboratory data collected from continuous light illumination of tissue-like phantoms. Experiments include both single- and multi-target cases where variations in object size (4 mm to 20 mm), position (centred to near boundary) and contrast with the background (2:1 to 8:1) have been explored. The results show that dramatic improvements in image quality have been obtained in terms of geometric and spatial resolution measures relative to those previously reported for continuous light, but quantitative information on the actual optical properties of embedded heterogeneities is still lacking. Specifically, the geometric characteristics of object size, position and shape are generally accurate to 10-20% and the spatial resolution metrics of background-to-object size and neighbouring-edge separation are approximately 10:1. Direct comparisons are also made with images obtained with intensity-modulated light under identical experimental conditions. Images from intensity-modulated light are found to be superior to continuous light in several important ways, most notably in terms of the ability to quantitatively discriminate the optical property values of embedded targets from the surrounding background. Continuous-light images are also found to have centrally located artefacts in many instances which do not appear in the corresponding intensity-modulated cases.

Role of higher-order scattering in solutions to the forward and inverse optical-imaging problems in random media

From analytical and numerical solutions that predict the scattering of diffuse photon density waves and from experimental measurements of changes in phase shift theta and ac amplitude demodulation M caused by the presence of single and double cylindrical heterogeneities, we show that second- and higher-order perturbations can affect the prediction of the propagation characteristics of diffuse photon density waves. Our experimental results for perfect absorbers in a lossless medium suggest that the performance of fast inverse-imaging algorithms that use first-order Born or Rytov approximations might have inherent limitations compared with inverse solutions that use iterative solutions of a linear perturbation equation or numerical solutions of the diffusion equation.

Imaging very-low-contrast objects in breastlike scattering media with a time-resolved method

An investigation was performed of the effectiveness of a time-resolved method for imaging very-low-contrast features embedded in highly scattering media. Experiments employed slabs of breastlike material into which were inserted small cylindrical objects having either a scattering or an absorption coefficient of 4, 2, 1.5, and 1.1 times greater than the surrounding medium. An attempt was made to quantify the degree of contrast produced by each object. The results indicate that time-gating is far more effective at enhancing the contrast of the scattering inhomogeneities than of the absorbing inhomogeneities. This observation is shown to agree with a diffusion-based model, which also predicts that time-gating can decrease the contrast of absorbing inhomogeneities unless very short time-gates can be employed.

Time-resolved polarization shadowgrams in turbid media

The use of the polarization of light as a parameter to discriminate against multiple-scattered light for transillumination imaging through random scattering media is examined. Time-resolved two-dimensional images of submillimeter test bars immersed in 5-cm-thick Intralipid solutions with different micelle dilutions were measured for two orthogonal polarizations (parallel and perpendicular) of light emerging from the turbid medium by using a picosecond Kerr-Fourier (KF) imaging system. The measured contrast and intensity of parallel-polarized KF shadowgrams decreased as the concentration of the scattering medium was increased, whereas the behavior of the perpendicular-polarized KF shadowgrams varied in an opposite matter to the micelle concentration.

Effects of polarization state and scatterer concentration on optical imaging through scattering media

The imaging resolution in turbid media is severely degraded by light scattering. Resolution can be improved if the unscattered or weakly scattered light is extracted. Here the state of polarization of the emerging light is used to discriminate photon path length, with the more weakly scattered photons maintaining their original polarization state. It is experimentally demonstrated that over a wide range of scatterer concentrations there exist three distinct imaging regimes. It is also shown that within the intermediate regime one of two distinct imaging techniques is appropriate, depending on the particle size.