Monitoring of optical properties of tumors during laser plasmon photothermal therapy.

We studied grafted tumors obtained by subcutaneous implantation of kidney cancer cells into male white rats. Gold nanorods with a plasmon resonance of about 800 nm were injected intratumorally for photothermal heating. Experimental irradiation of tumors was carried out percutaneously using a near-infrared diode laser. Changes in the optical properties of the studied tissues in the spectral range 350-2200 nm under plasmonic photothermal therapy (PPT) were studied. Analysis of the observed changes in the absorption bands of water and hemoglobin made it possible to estimate the depth of thermal damage to the tumor. A significant decrease in absorption peaks was observed in the spectrum of the upper peripheral part and especially the tumor capsule. The obtained changes in the optical properties of tissues under laser irradiation can be used to optimize laboratory and clinical PPT procedures.

Digital diaphanoscopy of maxillary sinus pathologies supported by machine learning.

Maxillary sinus pathologies remain among the most common ENT diseases requiring timely diagnosis for successful treatment. Standard ENT inspection approaches indicate low sensitivity in detecting maxillary sinus pathologies. In this paper, we report on capabilities of digital diaphanoscopy combined with machine learning tools in the detection of such pathologies. We provide a comparative analysis of two machine learning approaches applied to digital diapahnoscopy data, namely, convolutional neural networks and linear discriminant analysis. The sensitivity and specificity values obtained for both employed approaches exceed the reported accuracy indicators for traditional screening diagnosis methods (such as nasal endoscopy or ultrasound), suggesting the prospects of their usage for screening maxillary sinuses alterations. The analysis of the obtained values showed that the linear discriminant analysis, being a simpler approach as compared to neural networks, allows one to detect the maxillary sinus pathologies with the sensitivity and specificity of 0.88 and 0.98, respectively.

Autoquenching of spherical photon density waves during propagation in a turbid medium.

The effect of the formation of deep minima in frequency characteristics of photon density waves (PDWs) during their propagation in scattering media with different optical characteristics has been studied by statistical Monte Carlo modeling. The simulation was performed for the Henyey-Greenstein scattering phase function with the anisotropy factor value varying in the range of 0-0.93. The dependence of the position and magnitude of the minimum in the frequency response of PDWs on the combination of the parameters of the scattering medium and the distance to the radiation source is demonstrated.

Angular distribution of photon density waves radiance in media with different scattering anisotropy.

Statistical modeling of pulsed frequency responses of the light field radiance by an isotropic point source was performed by Monte Carlo technique. Scattering properties of the medium were simulated by the Henyey-Greenstein phase function with different anisotropy factor values. Angular distributions of the pulsed field and amplitudes of the photon density waves in a certain range of parameters were shown to have a qualitatively different character for media with quasi-isotropic and strongly anisotropic scattering. A comparison of the impulse and frequency characteristics was performed for media with strongly anisotropic scattering with different scattering phase functions yet the same anisotropy factor. The main difference in the angular distributions of the fields is observed in the rear hemisphere.

Effect of scattering anisotropy on the properties of photon density waves.

The frequency characteristics of spherical photon density waves excited in media with different degrees of scattering anisotropy are studied. Statistical modeling of the frequency and phase responses of the spatial irradiance of the light field emitted by a point-sized isotropic source were performed employing the Monte Carlo technique. The scattering anisotropy of the medium was determined by the Henyey-Greenstein phase function with different values of the mean scattering cosine. It is shown that the scattering anisotropy factor determines the frequency range, in which the effect of the photon path length distribution on the magnitude of the photon density wave dispersion is maximal. In media with quasi-isotropic scattering, dispersion effects are manifested at lower frequencies as compared to those for anisotropic media. The simulation results are compared with the analytical solution for the asymptotic regime of the light field in an isotropically scattering medium.

Nanoparticles Produced via Laser Ablation of Porous Silicon and Silicon Nanowires for Optical Bioimaging.

Modern trends in optical bioimaging require novel nanoproducts combining high image contrast with efficient treatment capabilities. Silicon nanoparticles are a wide class of nanoobjects with tunable optical properties, which has potential as contrasting agents for fluorescence imaging and optical coherence tomography. In this paper we report on developing a novel technique for fabricating silicon nanoparticles by means of picosecond laser ablation of porous silicon films and silicon nanowire arrays in water and ethanol. Structural and optical properties of these particles were studied using scanning electron and atomic force microscopy, Raman scattering, spectrophotometry, fluorescence, and optical coherence tomography measurements. The essential features of the fabricated silicon nanoparticles are sizes smaller than 100 nm and crystalline phase presence. Effective fluorescence and light scattering of the laser-ablated silicon nanoparticles in the visible and near infrared ranges opens new prospects of their employment as contrasting agents in biophotonics, which was confirmed by pilot experiments on optical imaging.

Nonstationary angular distribution of optical field radiance from an isotropic source in sea water.

The spatial-angular and temporal characteristics of the radiance of the light field emitted by a nonstationary point isotropic source in sea water are studied. Using the Monte Carlo method, we calculated the pulse transfer functions and frequency responses of the angular radiance distributions at various distances from the source. Particular integral characteristics of the angular radiance distributions are estimated. It is shown that with an increase in the delay time, measured from the time of arrival of ballistic photons, the angular radiance distribution asymptotically tends to be isotropic. The frequency and phase responses of the alternating radiance component from a source modulated by power at a high frequency are studied. It is shown that with an increase in the modulation frequency, the angular distribution of the alternating radiance component is concentrated close to the direction to the source.

Time delay and width variation caused by temporal dispersion of a complex modulated signal in underwater lidar.

The parameters of an echo signal from the underwater lidar are studied for the case of modulation of a probing pulse by a high frequency signal with a frequency linearly varying with time. The analysis is based on the statistical Monte Carlo simulations of the frequency and phase responses of a signal propagating along the emitter-water-reflector-water-receiver path and an analytical representation of the signal as a pulse described by a Gaussian function with intrapulse modulation. Delays and pulse shape changes caused by temporal dispersion of the photon-density waves are estimated. It is shown that the temporal dispersion effect reduces the efficiency of the matched processing of a complex signal in the receiving system.

Special Section Guest Editorial: Topical Problems of Biophotonics: from Optical Bioimaging to Clinical Biophotonics.

This editorial provides an introductory overview for the Special Section on Topical Problems of Biophotonics.

Comparative evaluation of signal-to-noise ratio and resolution of underwater imaging systems with artificial illumination.

Characteristics of different underwater imaging systems are compared based on the results of Monte Carlo simulations of light transport in the sea water. The consideration includes systems with continuous-wave illumination, modulated illumination, pulsed systems with time gating detection, and hybrid systems with probing pulse modulated at high frequency. To generalize the study, the ratio of SNRs of different systems when imaging a sinusoidal test pattern is analyzed. Pulsed systems are demonstrated to provide higher SNR as compared to continuous-wave systems for typical imaging distances varying in the range 35-60 m, while systems with modulated illumination provide a SNR comparable to that for continuous-wave systems. Hybrid systems provide SNRs comparable to that in pulsed systems benefiting, however, from higher contrast transfer coefficient.

Combination of virtual point detector concept and fluence compensation in acoustic resolution photoacoustic microscopy.

We propose a hybrid approach to image enhancement in acoustic resolution photoacoustic microscopy. The developed technique is based on compensation for nonuniform spatial sensitivity of the optoacoustic (OA) system in both optical and acoustic domains. Spatial distribution of optical fluence is derived from full three-dimensional Monte Carlo simulations accounting for conical geometry of tissue laser illumination at the wavelength of 532 nm. Approximate nonuniform spatial response of acoustic detector with numerical aperture of 0.6 is derived from the two-dimensional k-Wave modeling. Application of the developed technique allows to improve the spatial resolution and to balance in-depth signal-level distribution in OA images of phantom and in-vivo objects.

Backscatter signals in underwater lidars: temporal and frequency features.

Backscatter signal formation in underwater lidar systems is studied and temporal and frequency characteristics are analyzed using the Monte Carlo technique. Both frequency and phase responses of the backscattered signal demonstrate similar dependencies, showing stronger frequency dependence in the high-frequency range. The beats of the frequency response due to dephasing of corresponding spectral harmonics are shown in the high-frequency range. Results of Monte Carlo simulations of the backscattered signal are in good agreement with the approximate analytical expression derived in the small-angle approximation; however, frequency responses calculated by the Monte Carlo technique and by small-angle approximation demonstrate a difference in the high-frequency range due to interference effects, while the phase response demonstrated good agreement in the entire frequency range.

Nonstationary optical transfer functions of underwater imaging systems.

Optical transfer functions of underwater imaging systems employing narrow pulses or sinusoidally modulated beams for image formation are studied. A modified Monte Carlo technique allowing for direct statistical modeling of these functions accounting for temporal dispersion is proposed and implemented. The optical transfer functions are calculated for various modulation frequencies of the illumination beam and for the case of pulsed illumination. The employment of high-frequency sinusoidal or pulsed modulation with consistent processing of the received signal is shown to significantly increase the contrast sensitivity of underwater imaging systems as compared with systems with stationary illumination.

Quantitative evaluation of atherosclerotic plaques using cross-polarization optical coherence tomography, nonlinear, and atomic force microscopy.

A combination of approaches to the image analysis in cross-polarization optical coherence tomography (CP OCT) and high-resolution imaging by nonlinear microscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM) at the different stages of atherosclerotic plaque development is studied. This combination allowed us to qualitatively and quantitatively assess the disorganization of collagen in the atherosclerotic arterial tissue (reduction and increase of CP backscatter), at the fiber (change of the geometric distribution of fibers in the second-harmonic generation microscopy images) and fibrillar (violation of packing and different nature of a basket-weave network of fibrils in the AFM images) organization levels. The calculated CP channel-related parameters are shown to have a statistically significant difference between stable and unstable (also called vulnerable) plaques, and hence, CP OCT could be a potentially powerful, minimally invasive method for vulnerable plaques detection.

Temporal and frequency characteristics of a narrow light beam in sea water.

The structure of a light field in sea water excited by a unidirectional point-sized pulsed source is studied by Monte Carlo technique. The pulse shape registered at the distances up to 120 m from the source on the beam axis and in its axial region is calculated with a time resolution of 1 ps. It is shown that with the increase of the distance from the source the pulse splits into two parts formed by components of various scattering orders. Frequency and phase responses of the beam are calculated by means of the fast Fourier transform. It is also shown that for higher frequencies, the attenuation of harmonic components of the field is larger. In the range of parameters corresponding to pulse splitting on the beam axis, the attenuation of harmonic components in particular spectral ranges exceeds the attenuation predicted by Bouguer law. In this case, the transverse distribution of the amplitudes of these harmonics is minimal on the beam axis.

Acceleration of Monte Carlo simulation of photon migration in complex heterogeneous media using Intel many-integrated core architecture.

Over two decades, the Monte Carlo technique has become a gold standard in simulation of light propagation in turbid media, including biotissues. Technological solutions provide further advances of this technique. The Intel Xeon Phi coprocessor is a new type of accelerator for highly parallel general purpose computing, which allows execution of a wide range of applications without substantial code modification. We present a technical approach of porting our previously developed Monte Carlo (MC) code for simulation of light transport in tissues to the Intel Xeon Phi coprocessor. We show that employing the accelerator allows reducing computational time of MC simulation and obtaining simulation speed-up comparable to GPU. We demonstrate the performance of the developed code for simulation of light transport in the human head and determination of the measurement volume in near-infrared spectroscopy brain sensing.

Speckle statistics in OCT images: Monte Carlo simulations and experimental studies.

The speckle pattern of an optical coherence tomography (OCT) image carries potentially useful sample information that may assist in tissue characterization. Recent biomedical results in vivo indicate that the distribution of signal intensities within an OCT tissue image is well described by a log-normal-like (Gamma) function. To fully understand and exploit this finding, an OCT Monte Carlo model that accounts for speckle effects was developed. The resultant Monte Carlo speckle statistics predictions agree well with experimental OCT results from a series of control phantoms with variable scattering properties; the Gamma distribution provides a good fit to the theoretical and experimental results. The ability to quantify subresolution tissue features via OCT speckle analysis may prove useful in diagnostic photomedicine.

In vivo study of the effect of mechanical compression on formation of OCT images of human skin.

Modern optical diagnostic techniques often require deformations of the studied bio-tissues for image acquisition. This paper discusses the effect of mechanical compression on the formation of OCT images of human skin. The study was performed in vivo on human volunteers of different age. We show that application of compression to human skin induces changes in optical properties of the sample associated with elasticity of different skin layers. These changes induce an increase in the contrast of interlayer boundaries. Further application of compression causes the appearance of dark areas in the OCT images obtained, likely associated with interstitial or intracellular water inflow to the observed region. The effects studied are of importance for proper interpretation of obtained OCT images in diagnosis of skin pathologies.