Transport-based image reconstruction in turbid media with small source-detector separations

We demonstrate a new method for imaging through several millimeters of a tu rbid sample with a resolution of approximately 100 mum by combining aspects of confocal reflectance microscopy and diffuse optical tomography. By late rally displacing the pinhole aperture of a confocal microscope we can achie ve small source-detector separations and detect minimally scattered light. A reconstruction algorithm based on the first Born approximation to the rad iative transport equation is then used to reconstruct an image of a 100-mum absorbing object located 2 mm beneath the surface. (C) 2000 Optical Societ y of America.