title: Frequency-domain techniques enhance optical mammography: initial clinical results.
abstract: We present a novel approach to optical mammography and initial clinical results. We have designed and developed a frequency-domain (110-MHz) optical scanner that performs a transillumination raster scan of the female breast in approximately 3 min. The probing light is a dual-wavelength (690 and 810 nm, 10-mW average power), 2-mm-diameter laser beam, and the detection optical fiber is 5 mm in diameter. The ac amplitude and phase data are processed with use of an algorithm that performs edge effect corrections, thereby enhancing image contrast. This contrast enhancement results in a greater tumor detectability compared with simple light intensity images. The optical mammograms are displayed on a computer screen in real time. We present x-ray and optical mammograms from two patients with breast tumors. Our initial clinical results show that the frequency-domain scanner, even at the present stage of development, has the potential to be a useful tool in mammography.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Fluorescence Dynamics, Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1110 West Green Street, Urbana, IL 61801-3080, USA.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Franceschini
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Moesta
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fantini
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gaida
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gratton
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jess
authors.forename: W W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Mantulin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seeber
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Schlag
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaschke
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007834:Lasers; D008327:Mammography / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D014965:X-Rays