Open AccessNon-contact time-resolved diffuse reflectance imaging at null source-detector separation
Author(s) -
Mikhail Mazurenka,
Alexander Jelzow,
Heidrun Wabnitz,
Davide Contini,
Lorenzo Spinelli,
Antonio Pifferi,
Rinaldo Cubeddu,
Alberto Dalla Mora,
Alberto Tosi,
Franco Zappa,
Rainer Macdonald
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.20.000283
Subject(s) - optics , detector , monte carlo method , diffuse reflection
We report results of the proof-of-principle tests of a novel non-contact tissue imaging system. The system utilizes a quasi-null source-detector separation approach for time-domain near-infrared spectroscopy, taking advantage of an innovative state-of-the-art fast-gated single photon counting detector. Measurements on phantoms demonstrate the feasibility of the non-contact approach for the detection of optically absorbing perturbations buried up to a few centimeters beneath the surface of a tissue-like turbid medium. The measured depth sensitivity and spatial resolution of the new system are close to the values predicted by Monte Carlo simulations for the inhomogeneous medium and an ideal fast-gated detector, thus proving the feasibility of the non-contact approach for high density diffuse reflectance measurements on tissue. Potential applications of the system are also discussed.