Condensed Monte Carlo Modeling of Reflectance From Biological Tissue With a Single Illumination–Detection Fiber

In order to facilitate rapid simulation of reflectance spectroscopy for biological tissue, we have derived convolution equations needed to apply the condensed Monte Carlo (MC) modeling approach to single illumination-detection fiber probes. This approach was validated against a standard MC model, and then implemented to perform three computationally demanding tasks. First, by performing simulations at a wide range of optical property combinations, we characterized the effect of fiber diameter on the relationship between reflectance and tissue optical properties. Second, we simulated reflectance from 400 to 500 nm based on the optical properties of malignant and adipose breast tissues to elucidate the effect of fiber diameter on detected reflectance spectra. The third task involved evaluating the effect of adding an illumination-detection fiber to a linear array fiber probe for optical property determination. The implications of this approach for optimization of probe geometries are discussed. In addition to providing an important tool for high-volume MC simulation, this study has generated unique insights into the role of device design for reflectance spectroscopy.