Abstract
Laser radiation of tissues presents new and challenging problems of radiative transport. The most intense laser-tissue interactions occur when laser radiation first enters a tissue where classical light diffusion theory is inadequate. Monte Carlo simulations provide solutions in this region. Moreover, tissue optical properties can change during laser irradiation. Absorption centers can be saturated (e.g., during short intense laser pulses) or irreversibly degraded (e.g., during photodynamic therapy with photosensitive dyes). Browning and charring of tissue during high power continuous or long-pulses laser irradiation can increase absorption. Thermal coagulation of some tissue structures (e.g., globular proteins) will cause increased scattering, and coagulation of other tissue structures (e.g., collagen) will cause decreased scattering. Examples of altered light scattering in tissues due to coagulation are the heart myocardium, prostate, liver, and skin. Laser dosimetry becomes a nonlinear dynamic problem when optical properties change during the irradiation.
© 1991 Optical Society of America
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