Modeling of Light Propagation in Turbid Media: Application to Biological Tissues

Abstract

Light propagation in turbid media is specifically relevant in the field of biomedical optics, as biological tissues are strongly turbid media. Diagnostic or treatment applications require information regarding the spatial distribution of optical energy. This is crucial for planning the therapeutic e˙ect or the quality of the diagnostic images obtained. In this work we compare two numerical approaches for light propagation in biological tissues: the Monte Carlo approach, and the approach based on direct numerical solution of Maxwell equations by finite-di˙erence time-domain method. The results of both approaches are discussed.