title: Coupling 3D Monte Carlo light transport in optically heterogeneous tissues to photoacoustic signal generation.
abstract: The generation of photoacoustic signals for imaging objects embedded within tissues is dependent on how well light can penetrate to and deposit energy within an optically absorbing object, such as a blood vessel. This report couples a 3D Monte Carlo simulation of light transport to stress wave generation to predict the acoustic signals received by a detector at the tissue surface. The Monte Carlo simulation allows modeling of optically heterogeneous tissues, and a simple MATLAB™ acoustic algorithm predicts signals reaching a surface detector. An example simulation considers a skin with a pigmented epidermis, a dermis with a background blood perfusion, and a 500-μm-dia. blood vessel centered at a 1-mm depth in the skin. The simulation yields acoustic signals received by a surface detector, which are generated by a pulsed 532-nm laser exposure before and after inserting the blood vessel. A MATLAB™ version of the acoustic algorithm and a link to the 3D Monte Carlo website are provided.
authors.affiliation: Oregon Health & Science University, 3303 SW Bond Ave., Portland, OR 97239, USA.
authors.forename: Steven L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Jacques
keywords: Heterogeneous tissue; Monte Carlo; Photoacoustic