Transient radiation modeling of short-pulse laser detection of tumors in animal model

The objective of this paper is to perform a comprehensive experimental and numerical analysis of the short pulse laser interaction with tissue medium with the goal of tumor / cancer diagnostics. For a short pulse laser source, the shape of the output signal is a function of the optical properties of the medium and hence the scattered temporal optical signal helps in understanding of the medium characteristics. In this paper the scattered reflected optical signals from the tissue medium are modeled using the transient radiative transport equation (RTE) solved by the discrete ordinates technique. In vivo imaging was performed on anaesthetized rats with tumorogenic agents injected inside skin tissues and on anaesthetized mouse with mammary tumors. The numerical results are compared with the experimental data to validate the model and demonstrate the feasibility of the time-resolved technique in detecting tumors in animal model.