Broadband absorption and reduced scattering spectra of in-vivo skin can be noninvasively determined using δ-P_1 approximation based spectral analysis

Abstract

Previously, we revealed that a linear gradient line source illumination (LGLSI) geometry could work with advanced diffusion models to recover the sample optical properties at wavelengths where sample absorption and reduced scattering were comparable. In this study, we employed the LGLSI geometry with a broadband light source and utilized the spectral analysis to determine the broadband absorption and scattering spectra of turbid samples in the wavelength range from 650 to 1350 nm. The performance of the LGLSI δ-P1 diffusion model based spectral analysis was evaluated using liquid phantoms, and it was found that the sample optical properties could be properly recovered even at wavelengths above 1000 nm where μs' to μa ratios were in the range between 1 to 20. Finally, we will demonstrate the use of our system for recovering the 650 to 1350 nm absorption and scattering spectra of in-vivo human skin. We expect this system can be applied to study deep vessel dilation induced hemoglobin concentration variation and determine the water and lipid concentrations of in-vivo skin in clinical settings in the future.