Accelerated boundary element method for diffuse optical imaging.

The boundary element method (BEM) is a useful tool in diffuse optical imaging (DOI) when modelling large optical regions whose parameters are piecewise constant, but are computationally expensive. We present here an acceleration technique, the single-level fast multipole method, for a highly lossy medium. The enhanced practicability of the BEM in DOI is demonstrated through test examples on single-layer problems, where order of magnitude reduction factors on solution time are achieved and on a realistic three-layer model of the neonatal head. Our experimental results agree very closely with theoretical predictions of computational complexity.