Visualisation of structural inhomogeneities in strongly scattering media using the method of spatially-resolved reflectometry: Monte Carlo simulation

Two-dimensional spatial intensity distributions of diffuse scattering of near-infrared laser radiation from a strongly scattering medium, whose optical properties are close to those of skin, are obtained using Monte Carlo simulation. The medium contains a cylindrical inhomogeneity with the optical properties, close to those of blood. It is shown that stronger absorption and scattering of light by blood compared to the surrounding medium leads to the fact that the intensity of radiation diffusely reflected from the surface of the medium under study and registered at its surface has a local minimum directly above the cylindrical inhomogeneity. This specific feature makes the method of spatially-resolved reflectometry potentially applicable for imaging blood vessels and determining their sizes. It is also shown that blurring of the vessel image increases almost linearly with increasing vessel embedment depth. This relation may be used to determine the depth of embedment provided that the optical properties of the scattering media are known. The optimal position of the sources and detectors of radiation, providing the best imaging of the vessel under study, is determined. (biophotonics)