Abstract

The paper presents case studies of tumor detection and characterization by time-domain optical mammography. Optical mammograms representing photon counts in different time windows of measured distributions of times of flight allowed to detect tumors and one cyst. Tumor contrast was higher at λ = 670 nm compared to 785 nm. Besides effective optical properties derived from a homogeneous diffusion model, the optical properties of tumors were obtained calculating the diffraction of photon density waves by a spherical object. Absorption coefficients of one particular tumor showed it to be hypoxic and to contain more blood compared to the surrounding tissue.

© 2000 Optical Society of America