Light scattering study of tissues

Tissue optics is a rapidly expanding field of great interest to those involved in the development of optical medical technologies. In the present review both strongly (multiple) scattering tissues, such as skin, brain tissues, and vessel walls, and weakly scattering high-transparent tissues, such as eye tissues (cornea and lens), are discussed. For the former, radiation transport theory or Monte Carlo simulation are used to describe the propagation of light (laser beams). For weakly scattering ordered tissues, ensembles of close-packed Rayleigh or Mie scatterers are employed. Methods for solving the inverse problem of finding biotissue optical parameters are discussed. The propagation of photon-density diffusion waves in scattering and absorbing media is analyzed and the prospects of these waves for optical tomography are discussed. Polarization phenomena in both strongly and weakly scattering biotissues are discussed.