Mueller matrix decomposition for polarized light assessment of biological tissues |
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Authors: | Nirmalya Ghosh Michael F G Wood Shu‐hong Li Richard D Weisel Brian C Wilson Ren‐Ke Li I Alex Vitkin |
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Institution: | 1. Ontario Cancer Institute, Division of Biophysics and Bioimaging, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;2. University of Toronto, Department of Medical Biophysics, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;3. Contributed equally to this work;4. Toronto General Research Institute, Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;5. Toronto General Hospital, Division of Cardiac Surgery, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;6. University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;7. University of Toronto, Department of Medical Biophysics and Radiation Oncology, Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
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Abstract: | The Mueller matrix represents the transfer function of an optical system in its interactions with polarized light and its elements relate to specific biologically or clinically relevant properties. However, when many optical polarization effects occur simultaneously, the resulting matrix elements represent several “lumped” effects, thus hindering their unique interpretation. Currently, no methods exist to extract these individual properties in turbid media. Here, we present a novel application of a Mueller matrix decomposition methodology that achieves this objective. The methodology is validated theoretically via a novel polarized‐light propagation model, and experimentally in tissue simulating phantoms. The potential of the approach is explored for two specific biomedical applications: monitoring of changes in myocardial tissues following regenerative stem cell therapy, through birefringence‐induced retardation of the light's linear and circular polarizations, and non‐invasive blood glucose measurements through chirality‐induced rotation of the light's linear polarization. Results demonstrate potential for both applications. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) |
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Keywords: | polarimetry optical activity birefringence non‐invasive tissue characterization glucose regenerative medicine |
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