Measurement and calculation of the two-dimensional backscattering Mueller matrix of a turbid medium

We present both experimental and Monte Carlo-based simulation results for the diffusely backscattered intensity patterns that arise from illumination of a turbid medium with a polarized laser beam. A numerical method that allows the calculation of all 16 elements of the two-dimensional Muller matrix is used; moreover, it is shown that only seven matrix elements are independent. To validate our method, we compared our simulations with experimental measurements, using a turbid medium consisting of 2.02-microm -diameter polystyrene spheres suspended in deionized water. By varying the incident polarization and the analyzer optics for the experimental measurements, we obtained the diffuse backscattering Mueller matrix elements. The experimental and the numerical results are in good agreement.     

Influence of single scattering and multiple scattering on backscattered Mueller matrix in turbid media

Monte Carlo algorithm and Stokes-Mueller formalism are used to simulate the propagation behavior of polarized light in turbid media. The influence of single scattering and multiple scattering on backscattered Mueller matrix in turbid media is discussed. Single and double scattering photons form the major part of backscattered polarization patterns, while multiple scattering photons present more likely as background. Further quantitative analyses show that single scattering approximation and double scattering approximation are quite accurate when discussing the polarization patterns near the incident point.     

含葡萄糖的混浊介质的Mueller矩阵模拟与分析

利用矢量Monte Carlo算法结合葡萄糖的旋光特性模拟了含糖混浊介质的背散射Mueller矩阵.数值模拟表明:含糖混浊介质的背散射Mueller矩阵元素中除Mll、M14、M41、M44外的其它元素花样均发生龙卷风状的不同程度的扭曲,其中M24、M34、M42、M43的扭曲程度更为显著.研究发现M24、M34、M4...     

Theoretical analysis of backscattered polarization patterns of turbid media containing glucose

Single scattering model and Stokes-Mueller formalism are introduced to investigate the influence of glucose on backscattered polarization patterns in turbid media. Glucose molecules rotate the polarization plane and induce changes in backscattered Mueller matrix patterns. Some Mueller matrix elements present higher optical rotation as the concentration of glucose augments. Using image subtraction and integration,linear relationship between low glucose concentration in the physiological range and optical rotation degree can be derived.     

手性介质中后向散射米勒矩阵特性及其在血糖无创检测中的应用初探

利用斯托克斯-米勒矩阵表述分析偏振光在手性介质中的传输规律,利用瑞利近似下的单次散射模型和基于米氏散射理论的多次散射的蒙特卡罗方法,探讨葡萄糖对后向散射偏振光传输特性的影响,计算了不同葡萄糖浓度下的后向散射米勒矩阵. 结果表明在含有葡萄糖的手性介质中后向散射米勒矩阵的若干矩阵元表现出微弱的旋光效应,旋光度随葡萄糖浓度增大而增大. 为了检测低浓度下微小的旋光变化,定义了函数对含-不含葡萄糖的米勒矩阵元图像进行处理,提取由葡萄糖引入的图像差异. 结合无创血糖检测应用要求,分析了葡萄糖生理浓度下的矩阵元图像,获 关键词： 医用光学与生物技术 偏振光 斯托克斯-米勒表述 蒙特卡罗模拟     

Mueller matrix polarimetry for the characterization of complex random medium like biological tissues

The polarization parameters of light scattered from biological tissues contain wealth of morphological and functional information of potential biomedical importance. But, in optically thick turbid media such as tissues, numerous complexities due to multiple scattering and simultaneous occurrences of many polarization events present formidable challenges, in terms of both accurate measurement and unique interpretation of the individual polarimetry characteristics. We have developed and validated an expanded Mueller matrix decomposition approach to overcome this problem. The approach was validated theoretically with a polarization-sensitive Monte Carlo light propagation model and experimentally by recording Mueller matrices from tissue-like complex random medium. In this paper, we discuss our comprehensive turbid polarimetry platform consisting of the experimental polarimetry system, forward Monte Carlo modelling and inverse polar decomposition analysis. Initial biomedical applications of this novel general method for polarimetry analysis in random media are also presented.     

Measurements of diffuse backscattering Mueller matrices of turbid media

We report on the development of a method that records spatially dependent intensity patterns of polarized light that arise from illuminating a turbid media with a polarized laser beam and being diffusely backscattered. Our technique employs polarized light from a He-Ne laser () which is focused onto the surface of the scattering medium. A surface area of approximately 2×2 cm centered on the light input point is imaged through polarization analysis optics onto a CCD camera. The Mueller matrix is reconstructed by 49 intensity measurements with various orientations of polarizer and analyzer. The measured Mueller matrix of polystyrene spheres was compared with the theory result of incoherent scattering of light by spheres. The experimental and theory results are in excellent agreement. It appears that the azimuthal patterns of the Mueller matrix are determined by the symmetry of the turbid media.     

随机介质背散射二维Mueller矩阵的数值模拟与分析

推导了随机介质背散射Mueller矩阵的直接计算公式,并运用矢量Monte Carlo方法进行了数值模拟.结果表明随机介质背散射二维Mueller矩阵方位关系随散射系数的减小而增强,而与微粒大小关系不大;Mueller矩阵元素绝对值的空间分布随径向呈近似指数规律衰减,矩阵元素的方位变化具有周期性.对称系统的二维Mueller矩阵的花样图中仅有7幅独立,其余9幅可通过对称、旋转变换得到.     

Angularly resolved backscattering of light from turbid suspensions of dielectric spheres

An analytic expression for the angular dependency of light backscattered from turbid suspensions of dielectric spheres that accounts for multiple-scattering effects is developed. The multiple-scattering model expresses backscattered light as a convolution of the phase function and a kernel representing the effects of forward scattering, multiplied by the optical thickness of the slab. Excellent agreement between Monte Carlo simulations and the analytic expressions is demonstrated for optical thicknesses of 0.1-4. The results are important for goniometric sizing measurements of biological cells and cellular organelles using elastically backscattered light.     

混浊介质二维后向漫散射穆勒矩阵的测量

研制了一套实验系统用于测量混浊介质的后向漫散射穆勒矩阵.在系统中，激光被调制成所需偏振态，聚焦于混浊介质表面.利用CCD相机配合相应的偏振元件，测量入射点周围区域的后向散射光中特定偏振态的能量空间分布，并由测量值计算出介质的后向漫散射穆勒矩阵.描述了系统的组成、测量原理以及方法，分别测量了消偏振分光棱镜的反射穆勒矩阵和浓度1.5％的脂肪乳溶液的后向漫散射穆勒矩阵.实验证明:该系统能够完全消除样品表面镜面反射光的干扰，精确的测量混浊介质的后向漫散射穆勒矩阵；并可望用于生物组织的研究中.     

Influence of the order of the constituent basis matrices on the Mueller matrix decomposition-derived polarization parameters in complex turbid media such as biological tissues

The influence of the multiplication order of the constituent basis matrices on the Mueller matrix decomposition-derived polarization parameters in complex tissue-like turbid media exhibiting simultaneous scattering and polarization effects are investigated. A polarization sensitive Monte Carlo (MC) simulation model was used to generate Mueller matrices from turbid media exhibiting simultaneous linear birefringence, optical activity and multiple scattering effects. Mueller matrix decomposition was performed with different selected multiplication orders of the constituent basis matrices, which were further analyzed to derive quantitative individual polarization medium properties. The results show that for turbid medium having weak diattenuation (differential attenuation of two orthogonal polarization states), the decomposition-derived polarization parameters are independent of the multiplication order. Importantly, the values for the extracted polarization parameters were found to be in excellent agreement with the controlled inputs, showing self-consistency in inverse decomposition analysis and successful decoupling of the individual polarization effects. These results were corroborated further by selected experimental results from phantoms having optical (scattering and polarization) properties similar to those used in the MC model. Results from tissue polarimetry confirm that the magnitude of diattenuation is generally lower compared to other polarization effects, so that the demonstrated self-consistency of the decomposition formalism with respect to the potential ambiguity of ordering of the constituent matrices should hold in biological applications.     

Differentiating characteristic microstructural features of cancerous tissues using Mueller matrix microscope

Polarized light imaging can provide rich microstructural information of samples, and has been applied to the detections of various abnormal tissues. In this paper, we report a polarized light microscope based on Mueller matrix imaging by adding the polarization state generator and analyzer (PSG and PSA) to a commercial transmission optical microscope. The maximum errors for the absolute values of Mueller matrix elements are reduced to 0.01 after calibration. This Mueller matrix microscope has been used to examine human cervical and liver cancerous tissues with fibrosis. Images of the transformed Mueller matrix parameters provide quantitative assessment on the characteristic features of the pathological tissues. Contrast mechanism of the experimental results are backed up by Monte Carlo simulations based on the sphere–cylinder birefringence model, which reveal the relationship between the pathological features in the cancerous tissues at the cellular level and the polarization parameters. Both the experimental and simulated data indicate that the microscopic transformed Mueller matrix parameters can distinguish the breaking down of birefringent normal tissues for cervical cancer, or the formation of birefringent surrounding structures accompanying the inflammatory reaction for liver cancer. With its simple structure, fast measurement and high precision, polarized light microscope based on Mueller matrix shows a good diagnosis application prospect.     

Fiber-Optic Backscattering Profile Measurements for Determination of the Optical Coefficients of Turbid Media

The necessity of using anisotropic approximation in techniques for determining optical parameters from the backscattered radiation profile is shown. A fiber-optic technique for simultaneous determination of the anisotropy parameter as well as the scattering and absorption coefficients of turbid media is proposed. It is based on the comparison of the experimental backscattered radiation profiles and those obtained by the numerical Monte Carlo method.     

混浊介质中后向单次漫散射米勒矩阵特征

采用斯托克斯(Stokes)矢量形式,推导出当无限窄的连续光束垂直入射到混浊介质表面时,后向单次漫散射米勒(Mueller)矩阵的解析表达式。基于米氏(Mie)散射模式,详细分析了单次散射米勒矩阵元素的分布模式,以及与介质粒子数密度,粒子尺寸参量之间的关系。研究表明:单次散射米勒矩阵的方位变化随粒子数密度的增加,逐渐消失,而矩阵元素m22,m33,m23,m32随粒子数密度的变化,具有更显著的方位变化特征。矩阵元素m22,m33在方位角=45°时的值随尺寸参量的变化有一定的规律性,当尺寸参量小于某一特征参量时,其值呈下降趋势,反之则呈波动上升趋势。当介质粒子数密度以及粒子尺寸参量改变时,米勒矩阵元素强度的径向分布模式不变,即在任何方位,强度随径向距离都近似成指数规律衰减,方位变化呈周期性。     

Numerical study of the characterization of forward scattering Mueller matrix patterns of turbid media with triple forward scattering assumption

We propose a triple forward scattering model to numerically investigate the forward scattering Mueller matrix of a turbid medium. The calculated results show that the Mueller matrix based on the triple scattering model can completely describe the basic symmetries and azimuthal structures of the forward scattering Mueller matrix of a turbid medium. The results show that the forward scattering Mueller matrix is characterized with special symmetric structure compared with backscattering Mueller matrix patterns. The method will extend the investigation to light scattering mechanism from cells and to diagnosis of diabetes and other blood related diseases.     

Polarization imaging of multiply-scattered radiation based on integral-vector Monte Carlo method

A new integral-vector Monte Carlo method (IVMCM) is developed to analyze the transfer of polarized radiation in 3D multiple scattering particle-laden media. The method is based on a “successive order of scattering series” expression of the integral formulation of the vector radiative transfer equation (VRTE) for application of efficient statistical tools to improve convergence of Monte Carlo calculations of integrals. After validation against reference results in plane-parallel layer backscattering configurations, the model is applied to a cubic container filled with uniformly distributed monodispersed particles and irradiated by a monochromatic narrow collimated beam. 2D lateral images of effective Mueller matrix elements are calculated in the case of spherical and fractal aggregate particles. Detailed analysis of multiple scattering regimes, which are very similar for unpolarized radiation transfer, allows identifying the sensitivity of polarization imaging to size and morphology.     

基于蒙特卡罗模拟的散射介质中后向光散射模型及分析应用

构建了内光源模型探讨散射介质中的光散射现象,利用蒙特卡罗方法研究了逃逸出组织的后向散射光子数随光子在组织内部发生的散射次数的分布关系,探讨了光源照明方式、辐射强度、接收方式、调制等参数的变化对后向散射的影响,结果表明后向散射光子的数量随散射次数的分布并非简单的单调递增或递减,而是一条先增大后减小出现峰值的曲线. 峰值位置、峰值大小及曲线形状与光源、探测方式、组织光学特性参数等有关. 关键词： 医用光学与生物技术 散射介质 后向散射 蒙特卡罗模拟     

Incoherent light transport in anisotropic media: Form factor influence for oriented prolate ellipsoids

In turbid media, the partial or global orientation of anisotropic particles induces anisotropic light transport. In this study, we discuss the anisotropic incoherent transport of light in media where prolate ellipsoids are oriented in the same direction. In these anisotropic media, incoherent light transport is investigated using Monte Carlo simulations where the influence of particle anisotropy, size and optical properties are explored in a systematic way, from the local scattering event up to the diffusion limit. The database allows inverting the anisotropy of the backscattered image to yield the form factor of the particles. We then illustrate the relevance of such an analysis to assess the deformability of human erythrocytes in blood samples under normal physiological conditions.     

Characteristic properties of the conical Mueller matrix

We present results of mathematical relations existing between the Mueller matrix obtained for an in-plane of incidence scattering geometry (plane Mueller matrix, PMM) and the Mueller matrix obtained for an out-the-plane of incidence scattering geometry (conical Mueller matrix, CMM), for light scattered from a rough surface. We obtain a similarity relation between the CMM and the PMM for one- (1-D) and for two-dimensional (2-D) surfaces. This similarity relation implies that the PMM and the CMM have the same determinant, trace and eigenvalues for 1-D and 2-D surfaces, respectively. We can say that measurements made in the conical geometry are “Similarity Equivalent” to those in the in-plane geometry for both kind of surfaces, respectively.     

Simulation of coherent properties of photons in scattering medium for optical coherence tomography

Monte Carlo model of optical coherence tomography is developed for simulation of photon transport in half infinite homogenous media. The procedure is accelerated by scaling the baseline data from standard Monte Carlo calculation in turbid media with arbitrary optical parameters. Gaussian beam is modeled by hyperboloid of one sheet for actual condition to obtain distribution of photons on sample surface. Depth dependence coherent signal and photons distribution are calculated in this way, which is important to reconstruction of optical parameters by inverse Monte Carlo. Numerical results have verified this method in turbid medium of different optical parameters with acceptable relative errors.