Tissue Optics

This tutorial text explores light-scattering techniques developed for studies of tissues and optical cell ensembles. It discusses results of theoretical and experimental investigations into photon transport in tissues and describes methods for solving direct and inverse scattering problems involving different types of tissues and fluids (opaque vs transparent). Biomedical research has led to many advances in scattering media optics, and improved methods developed for tissue studies show promise in examinations of other physical systems such as gels, foams and aerosols. The author discusses optical methods and instruments with strong potential for biomedical applications, including spectrophotometry and polarimetry; time-domain and frequency-domain spectroscopy and imaging systems; photon-correlation spectroscopy; speckle-interferometry; and coherent topography and tomography, among others.