Initial studies of in vivo absorbing and scattering heterogeneity in near-infrared tomographic breast imaging

Simultaneously recovered absorption and scattering images that separate the se optical property features within the female breast are demonstrated from frequency-domain measurements. A study of known absorbing and scattering o bjects is presented as a foundation for interpreting these in vivo images o nce the contrast space has been fully characterized. No measurable influenc e of absorbing-object contrast appears in the scattering images, whereas lo calized scattering contrast enhances the corresponding region within the ab sorption image by approximately 30% (e.g., a 2:1 scatterer also reconstruct s as an approximate to1.3:1 absorber). Scattering and absorption images of a female volunteer with a 3.4-cm fibroadenoma show a clear 2:1 localized in crease in absorption coefficient with little or no evidence of scattering e nhancement in the lesion. (C) 2001 Optical Society of America.