Optical coherence computed tomography

A time-resolved optical tomography, optical coherence computed tomography, is proposed to bridge the gap between diffuse optical tomography and optical coherence tomography. Both ballistic and multiple-scattered photons are measured at multiple source-detection positions by low-coherence interferometry providing a temporal resolution smaller than 100 fs. A light-tissue interaction model was established using the time-resolved Monte Carlo method. The optical properties were then reconstructed by solving the inverse transient radiative transport problem under the first Born approximation. Absorbing inclusions of 100 m diameter were imaged through a 2.6-mm-thick 30 scattering mean-free-paths scattering medium. © 2007 American Institute of Physics. DOI: 10.1063/1.2793625