title: Optical-Based Analysis of Soft Tissue Structures.
abstract: Fibrous structures are an integral and dynamic feature of soft biological tissues that are directly related to the tissues' condition and function. A greater understanding of mechanical tissue behavior can be gained through quantitative analyses of structure alone, as well as its integration into computational models of soft tissue function. Histology and other nonoptical techniques have traditionally dominated the field of tissue imaging, but they are limited by their invasiveness, inability to provide resolution on the micrometer scale, and dynamic information. Recent advances in optical modalities can provide higher resolution, less invasive imaging capabilities, and more quantitative measurements. Here we describe contemporary optical imaging techniques with respect to their suitability in the imaging of tissue structure, with a focus on characterization and implementation into subsequent modeling efforts. We outline the applications and limitations of each modality and discuss the overall shortcomings and future directions for optical imaging of soft tissue structure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering.
authors.forename: Will
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Goth
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering.|Center for Cardiovascular Simulation, and.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lesicko
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering.|Center for Cardiovascular Simulation, and.|Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712; email: jtunnell@mail.utexas.edu.
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Sacks
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering.
authors.forename: James W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Tunnell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003238:Connective Tissue / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D055119:Elastic Modulus / Q000502:physiology; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D012031:Refractometry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D041622:Tomography, Optical / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
keywords: optical histology; optical imaging; tissue optics; tissue structure