Single-scattering optical tomography

The problem of three-dimensional optical imaging of mesoscopic systems is addressed in this paper. The light transport in the mesoscopic system is described by the first-order scattering approximation to the radiative transport equation, and a relationship between the scattering and absorption coefficients of the medium and the scattered light intensity is derived. This represents the basis for a novel three-dimensional optical imaging technique that refer to as single scattering optical tomography (SSOT). SSOT uses angularly-selective measurements of scattered light intensity to reconstruct the optical properties of inhomogeneous media, assuming that the light is predominantly single-scattered. On the mesoscopic length scale, applications to biological systems include imaging of engineered tissues, semitransparent organisms, or superficial tissues.