Effects of phantom microstructure on their optical properties

Stergar, Jošt (author), Hren, Rok (author), Milanič, Matija (author)

Significance Developing stable, robust, and affordable tissue-mimicking phantoms is a prerequisite for any new clinical application within biomedical optics. To this end, a thorough understanding of the phantom structure and optical properties is paramount. Aim We characterized the structural and optical properties of PlatSil SiliGlass phantoms using experimental and numerical approaches to examine the effects of phantom microstructure on their overall optical properties. Approach We employed scanning electron microscope (SEM), hyperspectral imaging (HSI), and spectroscopy in combination with Mie theory modeling and inverse Monte Carlo to investigate the relationship between phantom constituent and overall phantom optical properties. Results SEM revealed that microspheres had a broad range of sizes with average (13.47±5.98)μm and were also aggregated, which may affect overall optical properties and warrants careful preparation to minimize these effects. Spectroscopy was used to measure pigment and SiliGlass absorption coefficient in the VIS-NIR range. Size distribution was used to calculate scattering coefficients and observe the impact of phantom microstructure on scattering properties. The results were surmised in an inverse problem solution that enabled absolute determination of component volume fractions that agree with values obtained during preparation and explained experimentally observed spectral features. HSI microscopy revealed pronounced single-scattering effects that agree with single-scattering events. Conclusions We show that knowledge of phantom microstructure enables absolute measurements of phantom constitution without prior calibration. Further, we show a connection across different length scales where knowledge of precise phantom component constitution can help understand macroscopically observable optical properties.

• Language: English
• Keywords: biomedical optics, hyperspectral imaging, spectroscopy, microscopy, tissue phantoms
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FMF - Faculty of Mathematics and Physics
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 06.05.2024
• Year: 2024
• Number of pages: Str. 093502-1-093502-16
• Numbering: Vol. 29, iss. 9
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-156123
• UDC: 535
• ISSN on article: 1083-3668
• DOI: 10.1117/1.JBO.29.9.093502
• COBISS.SI-ID: 194902787
• Publication date in RUL: 09.05.2024

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Journal of biomedical optics
• Shortened title: J. biomed. opt.
• Publisher: SPIE--the International Society for Optical Engineering, International Biomedical Optics Society
• ISSN: 1083-3668
• COBISS.SI-ID: 18188071

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: biomedicinska optika, hiperspektralno slikanje, spektroskopija, mikroskopija, tkivni fantomi