No abstract

We investigated the impact of the scattering phase function approximation on the optical properties of whole human blood determined from integrating sphere measurements using an inverse Monte Carlo technique. The diffuse reflectance Rd and the total transmittance Tt(λ=633 nm) of whole blood samples (Hct=38%) were measured with double-integrating sphere equipment. The scattering phase functions of highly diluted blood samples (Hct=0.1%) were measured using a goniophotometer. We approximated the experimentally determined scattering phase functions with either Henyey-Greenstein (HGPF), Gegenbauer kernel (GKPF), or Mie (MPF) phase functions to preset the anisotropy factor μ¯ for the inverse problem. We have employed HGPF, GKPF, and MPF approximations in the inverse Monte Carlo procedure to derive the absorption coefficient μa and the scattering coefficient μs. To evaluate the obtained data, we calculated the angular distributions of scattered light for optically thick samples and compared the results with goniophotometric measurements. The data presented in this study demonstrate that the employed approximation of the scattering phase function can have a substantial impact on the derived values of μs and μ¯, while μa and the reduced scattering coefficient μs' are much less sensitive to the exact form of the scattering phase function. © 1999 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.

We have combined the Monte Carlo method with the small-angle approximation of the radiative transfer theory to derive the optical properties (the absorption coefficient, the scattering coefficient, and the anisotropy factor) of turbid materials from integrating-sphere measurements (the total transmittance and the diffuse reflectance) and the collimated transmittance. Unlike one-dimensional models, the technique accounts for the side losses of light at the edges of the sample. In addition, it enables the correction of the measured collimated signal for the contribution of multiply scattered light. On the other hand, the hybrid technique allows a significant reduction in calculation time compared with inverse methods based on a pure Monte Carlo technique. Numerical tests and experimental results from a phantom material (milk) as well as samples of biological tissue (porcine myocardium) confirmed the feasibility of applying this technique to the determination of the optical properties of turbid media.

No abstract

No abstract

Interstitial thermotherapy is a new treatment for deep seated brain tumors. To destroy large tissue volumes without adverse effects (vaporization, carbonization) a new laser catheter was developed. The device combines the radiative heating of distant tissue volumes with the conductive cooling of areas close to the optical fiber tip. To evaluate this physical concept, a total of 3 5 specimens of fresh porcine brain (cortex and white matter) were irradiated (Nd:YAG, cw, X 1064 urn, 1.6 -10 W) using different light guides (new catheter, diffusing tip, bare fiber, ITTTM-fiber).

No abstract

No abstract