Role of multiple scattering in formation of OCT skin images

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) images of model human skin samples are obtained by using Monte Carlo simulations. The contributions of least and multiple scattering, diffusion and nondiffusion components and of separate scattering orders are studied by using a multilayer skin model based on experimental images. The model images are obtained by neglecting speckles or taking them into account. It is shown that least scattering forms the image of the upper skin layers, while the contribution of multiple scattering can be characterised as a blurred full image with a lower contrast. Repeated scattering mainly contributes to the OCT image at depths up to 1 mm. The diffusion component contributes to the image beginning from the epidermal basal layer. The partial image produced by this component is more blurred compared to the partial image produced by to multiple scattering. The nondiffusion component forms the OCT skin image at depths up to ~1.3 mm.