SC191 Tissue Optics: Fundamentals and Applications to Biomedical Optical and Laser Diagnostics

Tuesday, May 6, 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Valery V. Tuchin¹, Kirill V. Larin²; ¹Saratov State Univ., Russian Federation, ²Univ. of Houston, USA

Level: Advanced Beginner (basic understanding of topic is necessary to follow course material)

Course Description
This course presents structural and optical models of tissues with basic single and multiple scattering, with ordered and randomly distributed scatterers. Intensity- and spatially-modulated, coherent and polarized light interactions with random and quasi-organized tissues will be considered. It will be shown that light reflection, transmission, scattering, and state of polarization can be effectively controlled by changes of tissue structure and the refractive index of tissue components. The concept of matching the refractive index of scatterers and ground matter by administration of chemical agents to control optical properties of tissues and blood will be discussed. Various medical diagnostic methods and instruments based on CW, time-resolved, and spatially-resolved light scattering spectroscopy and tomography, speckle and low-coherence interferometry, OCT, confocal, two-photon, and SHG microscopy, and polarimetry, will be presented. Applications of these methods and techniques to control tissue and blood optical properties; to monitor structure and image human skin, eye tissues, the body’s interior tissues, the cerebral membrane, bone, cartilage, and tendon; as well as monitor blood and lymph flow will be demonstrated.

Benefits and Learning Objectives
This course should enable you to:

• Describe intensity- and spatially-modulated, coherent and polarized light propagation in random and quasi-organized tissues.
• Summarize principles and schemes for basic light scattering spectroscopic instruments, such as CW fiber optic multi-channel spectrometer, frequency-domain spectrometer and tomograph, scattering matrix meter, etc.
• Explain mechanisms of tissue optical properties control due to immersion agent applications.
• Get an overview of optical and diffusive properties of blood, fibrous and epithelial tissue, including eye sclera, cornea, cerebral membrane and human skin, controlled by administration of cosmetic and pharmaceutical products.
• Identify usage of the appropriate light scattering spectroscopic techniques.

Intended Audience
Engineers, scientists and physicians who are interested in optical spectroscopy, laser methods, instruments design, and application for medical science and clinics will find this course useful. University education on the level of MS in physics, biophysics or medicine is required. Some prior knowledge of optics, statistics, histology and cell biology is desirable. Some experience in biomedical optics research is also desirable.

Instructor Biographies
Valery V. Tuchin is the head of the Division of Optics and Biomedical Physics and director of the Research-Educational Institute of Optics and Biophotonics at Saratov State University, and head of the Lab of Laser Diagnostics of Technical and Living Systems of Precision Mechanics and Control Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He has authored more than 250 papers and books, including his latest, Handbook on Optical Biomedical Diagnostics (SPIE Press PM107, 2002), Coherent-Domain Optical Methods for Biomedical Diagnostics, Environmental and Material Science (Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston, USA, vol. 1 & 2, 2004), Optical Clearing of Tissues and Blood (SPIE Press, PM 154, 2005) and Tissue Optics, Light Scattering Methods and Instruments for Medical Diagnosis (SPIE Press, PM 166, 2007).

Kirill V. Larin is an assistant professor of biomedical and mechanical engineering and director of Biomedical Optics Lab at the University of Houston. His educational background include a master’s degree in laser physics and mathematics (received with honors), cellular physiology and molecular biophysics, and a doctorate in biomedical engineering. He is the 1997 recipient of Boris Yeltsin Presidential Award (Moscow, Russia). His research is focused on developing of different optical methods and laser-based systems for imaging and sensing of biological and non-biological materials and processes. He has authored more than 50 publications and 60 conference presentations.