Abstract

Biological materials are efficient scatterers of optical radiation, making direct measurement of their optical properties difficult. Analytical and semi-analytical approximations to the relevant scattering mechanisms are frequently used to model the propagation of light in these materials. Availability of high-speed personal computers has made the technique of Monte Carlo simulation a useful alternative to analytical approximations for measurement and prediction of the response of biological materials to optical irradiation. We describe a combined experimental and Monte Carlo method with which the optical parameters of thin tissue samples may be rapidly and accurately determined from measurements of reflected and transmitted light intensity. We also present the results of application of this method to laser-tissue interaction projects in our laboratory, for example, to predict the distribution of light within tissues during laser hyperthermia and photo-dynamic therapy.

© 1992 Optical Society of America