Extraction of Quasi-Straightforward-Propagating Photons Through a Scattering Medium by Up-Conversion Method as a Coherent Light Detection Technique

Aiming at the realization of optical CT (computed tomography), the extraction of quasi-straightforward-propagating photons from optical pulses transmitting through a standard scattering medium of Intralipid-10% aqueous solution has been demonstrated by an up-conversion method (second harmonic generation). We have found that this operates as a coherent light detection method rather than a time-gate one and extends the dynamic range where the Lambert-Beer’s law holds to − 86 dB. We have also proposed improvements to obtain the largest possible dynamic range by such an up-conversion technique.     

Imaging Towards Optical Coherent Tomography through Highly Scattering Medium by Using Femtosecond SHG Cross-correlation Time-gating

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激光相干层析成像的光散射模拟计算

利用低相干光作为光源的光学相干层析技术是一种新型成像技术。本文利用蒙特－卡罗（Ｍｏｎｔｅ－Ｃａｒｌｏ）模拟计算方法研究了该技术在不同的散射条件下,相干调制信号随散射系数的变化关系,得出了单次散射和多次散射的差别以及它对成像质量的影响,并进一步讨论了利用单次散射和多次散射信号,提高光学相干层析术图像清晰度和信号强度的方法。还研究了光束半径大小对成像分辨率的影响及变化过程,得出了对实验有指导意义的结果     

Measurement for Scattering Media by Synthesis of Optical Coherence Function with Super-Structure Grating Distributed Bragg Reflector Laser Diode

The application of the technique of synthesis of optical coherence function for detection in scattering media is investigated. By modulating the optical frequency, the technique synthesizes the coherence function into a delta-function-like peak at an arbitrary location, and thus can select interferometrically the information at that location. The location is adjustable by the modulation parameter or additional phase modulation. A multi-section super-structure grating distributed Bragg reflector laser diode (SSG-DBR-LD) of THz-order tunable range is employed to enhance the spatial resolution for suppressing the multiple scattering from locations other than that detected. In a preliminary experimental demonstration, a reflectometry of 550 μm spatial resolution was achieved and was used to detect scattering media.     

Transillumination Laser Computed Tomography System with Fiber-Optic-Based Coherent Detection Imaging Method - High Spatial-Resolution and Quantitative Tomographic Imaging of Highly Scattering Objects -

We recently proposed and developed a novel transillumination laser computed tomography (CT) imaging system using a fiber-optic method based on coherent detection imaging (CDI) for biomedical use. Use of optical fibers enables portability and robustness against environmental changes in a room, such as variable temperature, air-flow shifts, and unexpected vibrations. In addition, motion-artifact-free images can be obtained because measurements can be performed with the object fixed. In the present paper, we experimentally investigate in detail the fundamental imaging properties of the system, which has a spatial resolution of 500 μm, a dynamic range of approximately 120 dB, and a minimum-detectable-optical power of 10⁻¹⁴W as a result of the excellent properties of the heterodyne detection. Based on experimental observations, the proposed system can reconstruct tomographic images of highly scattering objects in the transillumination mode, similar to X-ray CT, at sub-millimeter spatial resolution and with quantitativeness. Finally, we demonstrate with experiments using a physical phantom that the imaging system possesses high resolution and quantitative imaging abilities for highly scattering objects.     

散射介质成像中的时间门研究

研究了用蒙特卡罗方法模拟均匀散射介质中含有光学性质不同的小球时,漫反射信号随时间的变化,当小球和激励源的相对位置不同时随时间变化的漫反射曲线也不同,利用这种漫反射信号的差异同时结合时间门技术可以对散射介质中一定浓度的物体成像。结论表明成像对比度与时间门的开始时刻和时间门宽度有直接关系。针对小球投影位置漫反射信号的强和弱,分别用半宽度点和最大强度的80％点作为小球办界位置的判断。     

Optical Imaging and Tissue Characterization with Polarization Discrimination of Time-Gated Signals

In this paper we demonstrated the effectiveness of imaging in a tissue phantom with isotropic scattering using polarization discrimination combined with the time gating method. This simple polarization discrimination technique was shown ineffective when it was applied to filamentous tissues. In this situation, we utilized the time-gated degree of polarization (DOP) imaging technique to show that the DOP measurement was quite effective for high-quality imaging of objects in filamentous tissues. We also applied this technique to the characterization of myocardial tissues and showed the difference between normal and abnormal tissues. In addition, we demonstrated a novel method for target depth determination in a turbid medium based on co-polarized light measurements. This method relied on the strong dependence of transmitted co-polarized intensity on target depth.     

不同波长的散射介质后向散射光偏振度特性

基于Stockes矢量,通过测量以线偏振光和圆偏振光入射时脂肪乳剂后向散射光的偏振度,研究了532 nm、650 nm和780 nm三个波长的光与散射粒子粒径为325 nm的脂肪乳剂溶液作用后,其后向散射光的偏振度特性.研究结果表明,对于入射线偏振光,780 nm波长后向散射光中的线偏振光成分多于圆偏振光成分,而532 nm波长则相反;对于入射圆偏振光,三个波长后向散射光中的圆偏振光成分均多于线偏振光成分;532 nm波长的总偏振度高于650 nm和780 nm两个波长各自的总偏振度;线偏振光的保偏性优于圆偏振光的保偏性,但偏振光在散射介质中的穿透深度较小.因此,后向散射成像技术适用于物体表层成像,而且选择波长略大于粒径的线偏振光可以提高成像质量.     

不同波长的散射介质后向散射光偏振度特性

基于Stockes矢量,通过测量以线偏振光和圆偏振光入射时脂肪乳剂后向散射光的偏振度,研究了532nm、650nm和780nm三个波长的光与散射粒子粒径为325nm的脂肪乳剂溶液作用后,其后向散射光的偏振度特性.研究结果表明,对于入射线偏振光,780nm波长后向散射光中的线偏振光成分多于圆偏振光成分,而532nm波长则相反;对于入射圆偏振光,三个波长后向散射光中的圆偏振光成分均多于线偏振光成分;532nm波长的总偏振度高于650nm和780nm两个波长各自的总偏振度;线偏振光的保偏性优于圆偏振光的保偏性,但偏振光在散射介质中的穿透深度较小.因此,后向散射成像技术适用于物体表层成像,而且选择波长略大于粒径的线偏振光可以提高成像质量.     

Fundamental Studies of Photon Migration in Biological Tissues and Their Application to Optical Tomography

This paper reviews the studies of photon migration in biological tissues and its application to optical tomography which were conducted in the Mechanical Engineering Laboratory of Japan’s Ministry of International Trade and Industry. The research subjects range from theoretical and experimental studies of photon migration in random media to the development of image reconstruction algorithms and experiments for optical tomography. The most fundamental theoretical study of the photon diffusion equation has proved that the photon diffusion coefficient is independent of the absorption coefficient while the conventional one is dependent on the absorption coefficient. Experimental studies included the time-resolved spectroscopy and the fabrication of realistic human head phantoms which have five tissue types with different optical properties. Several types of reconstruction algorithms have been developed and verified experimentally. These investigations are pioneering work in the field of biomedical optics in Japan.     

生物组织的可见光与近红外光散射模型

对生物组织光学模型尤其是光散射特性进行了研究, 发现可以利用等效粒子数密度的粒度分布更精确地了解生物组织的光散射性质。在夫琅和费衍射近似下, 散射系数和散射相函数可以由等效粒子数密度的粒度分布得到。基于粒子粒度光散射测量技术, 所得结果可给出一种新的可行的测量生物组织光学性质参数的方法。     

All‐Optical Transmission Modulation Due to Inelastic Interactions of Ultrashort Pulses in a Disordered Resonant Medium

Random resonant media being one of the possible realizations of disordered metamaterials open a room of opportunities for achieving new fundamental effects and designing advanced nanophotonic devices. Strongly nonlinear optical properties of such media attract ever increasing attention nowadays from both theoretical and experimental points of view. Hereinafter, the case of the photonic‐crystal‐like structure with a randomly varying light–matter coupling provided by the random density of quantum particles is considered. Using numerical solution of the Maxwell–Bloch equations, the effects of the pulse collisions in the medium are studied. It is shown that disorder enables the qualitative changes of the system's response for co‐propagating pulses, whereas this is not the case for the counter‐propagating ones. The scheme for an all‐optical transmission modulation due to the disorder‐induced inelasticity of collisions of co‐propagating pulses is proposed. The ability of precise tuning the modulation via the inter‐pulse distance and background refractive index adjustment is revealed. This novel approach for light control can be utilized for some high demand applications, such as modulation and switching of a pulsed radiation.     

Absorption Coefficient Measurements of Strongly Scattering Media Using Time-Resolved Transmittance of a Short Pulse in Near-Infrared (NIR) Wavelength Range

Absorption coefficient measurements of strongly scattering and weakly absorbing media have been performed using time resolved transmittance of a 100 fs pulse through a 30 mm slab containing latex spheres suspended in water and absorbing ink solutions. The scattering and absorption coefficients were selected so that the optical properties of the media were similar to those of biological tissues. Measured curves of time-resolved transmittance of the pulse through the media were used to estimate the optical properties of the media. The experiment was made at two different wavelengths, 784 nm and 810 nm. Estimated absorption coefficients were in good agreement with those measured in a nonscattering case by a spectrophotometer.Presented at the 7th International Workshop on Multiple Scattering Lidar/Light Experiments (MUSCLE7), July 21-23 1994, Chiba, Japan.     

Imaging of an Absorbing Object Embedded in a Dense Scattering Medium by Diffusing Light Topography

A new and simple imaging method for an absorbing object embedded in a dense scattering medium is proposed. The distinct characteristic is the positive usage of the diffusing light in the dense scattering medium to image the absorbing object. The principle is based on the equivalence between a probability distribution function of the path-length and a backscattered intensity distribution integrated spatially in the boundary plane between the medium and the air. The usefulness of the proposed method is experimentally confirmed for a modified pyramidal object painted black and thin tubes filled with black and red inks. The conditions under which the better image can be reconstructed are confirmed from the results of experiments and simulations. It is finally shown that our proposed method is capable of imaging the map of blood vessels distributed under the skin layers.     

光纤中基于交叉相位调制的超短光脉冲串的产生

提出一种在单模光纤正常色散区由连续波产生超短光脉冲串的新方法，即让连续波和一个波长位于光纤正常色散区的调制脉冲串在光纤中同时传输，交叉相位调制效应和群速度色散效应的相互作用能使连续波演化成一串超短光脉冲，其脉冲宽度比调制脉冲串中的脉宽要小得多，本文还通过计算机模拟，对这一方法进行了全面的考察和分析。结果表明，该方法不仅实用，而且可取得较好的效果。     

Finite Difference Time Domain Analysis of Diffusion Equations with Nonuniform Grids for Time-Resolved Reflectance of an Optical Pulse in Three-Dimensional Scattering Medium

An integral form of diffusion equations and their finite difference time domain (FDTD) analysis have been formulated. The analysis is extended to FDTD analysis with nonuniform grids in three-dimensional (3-D) scattering medium. It has been confirmed that 600 time steps in calculation sequences of the time-resolved reflectance for 3-D medium 80 × 80 × 30 mm³ in volume is completed within 4 seconds by utilizing 2³ and 4³ mm³ nonuniform cubic grids, when a conventional personal computer with 3 GHz CPU clock is used. The conditions for keeping numerical accuracies comparable to those in 2³ mm³ uniform grids are made clear. The proposed analysis greatly reduces time to run and memory space in 3-D scattering medium numerical analysis.     

三维自散焦介质中光束聚焦的最佳参量选择

对三维自散焦介质中由交叉相位调制效应诱导的光束聚焦过程进行了系统研究,讨论了抽运光振幅、抽运光-信号光初始偏移和抽运光-信号光波长比三个参量对信号光聚焦过程的影响。根据自散焦介质中强抽运光诱导弱信号光聚焦满足抽运光与探测光模型,对传输方程进行了优化,大大减少了数值模拟运算时间。数值方法采用分布傅里叶方法。数值模拟结果表明：抽运光越强、抽运光-信号光波长比越大,信号光聚焦程度越大;抽运光-信号光初始偏移存在一个最佳值,使得光束聚焦达到最佳效果。通过参量最佳值的选择,可提高光束聚焦的效率。     

光束束宽对自散焦介质中诱导光束聚焦的影响

影响自散焦介质中诱导光束聚焦过程的方程参量和初始条件共有5个，即两光束波长比(方程参量)、抽运光和信号光的初始振幅、两光束初始束宽比和两光束中心初始间距。通过数值计算讨论了初始束宽比在不同初始光束间距和波长比情况下对信号光聚焦过程的影响，得到了信号光聚焦效果的最佳初始参量条件。从而实现了对影响自散焦介质中诱导光束聚焦过程5个参量的完整详细研究。