Multi Simulation Platform for Time Domain Diffuse Optical Tomography: An Application to a Compact Hand-Held Reflectance Probe

Time Domain Diffuse Optical Tomography (TD-DOT) enables a full 3D reconstruction of the optical properties of tissue, and could be used for non-invasive and cost-effective in-depth body exploration (e.g., thyroid and breast imaging). Performance quantification is crucial for comparing results coming...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Edoardo Ferocino, Antonio Pifferi, Simon Arridge, Fabrizio Martelli, Paola Taroni, Andrea Farina
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2019-07-01
Series:Applied Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/9/14/2849
Description
Summary:Time Domain Diffuse Optical Tomography (TD-DOT) enables a full 3D reconstruction of the optical properties of tissue, and could be used for non-invasive and cost-effective in-depth body exploration (e.g., thyroid and breast imaging). Performance quantification is crucial for comparing results coming from different implementations of this technique. A general-purpose simulation platform for TD-DOT clinical systems was developed with a focus on performance assessment through meaningful figures of merit. The platform was employed for assessing the feasibility and characterizing a compact hand-held probe for breast imaging and characterization in reflectance geometry. Important parameters such as hardware gating of the detector, photon count rate and inclusion position were investigated. Results indicate a reduced error (&lt;10%) on the absorption coefficient quantification of a simulated inclusion up to 2-cm depth if a photon count rate &#8805; 10<sup>6</sup> counts per second is used along with a good localization (error &lt; 1 mm down to 25 mm-depth).
ISSN:2076-3417