1 December 1997 Fast alternative Monte Carlo formalism for a class of problems in biophotonics
Steven David Miller
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A practical and effective, alternative Monte Carlo formalism is presented that rapidly finds flux solutions to the radiative transport equation for a class of problems in biophotonics; namely, wide-beam irradiance of finite, optically anisotropic homogeneous or heterogeneous biomedias, which both strongly scatter and absorb light. Such biomedias include liver, tumors, blood, or highly blood perfused tissues. As Fermat rays comprising a wide coherent (laser) beam enter the tissue, they evolve into a bundle of random optical paths or trajectories due to scattering. Overall, this can be physically interpreted as a bundle of Markov trajectories traced out by a ‘‘gas’’ of Brownian-like point photons being successively scattered and absorbed. By considering the cumulative flow of a statistical bundle of trajectories through interior data planes, the effective equivalent information of the (generally unknown) analytical flux solutions of the transfer equation rapidly emerges. Unlike the standard Monte Carlo techniques, which evaluate scalar fluence, this technique is faster, more efficient, and simpler to apply for this specific class of optical situations. Other analytical or numerical techniques can either become unwieldy or lack viability or are simply more difficult to apply. Illustrative flux calculations are presented for liver, blood, and tissue-tumor-tissue systems.
Steven David Miller "Fast alternative Monte Carlo formalism for a class of problems in biophotonics," Optical Engineering 36(12), (1 December 1997). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.601581
Published: 1 December 1997
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KEYWORDS
Diffusion

Tissues

Monte Carlo methods

Light scattering

Scattering

Biomedical optics

Blood

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