We introduce a micro-optical model of soft biological tissue thatpermits numerical computation of the absolute magnitudes of itsscattering coefficients. A key assumption of the model is that therefractive-index variations caused by microscopic tissue elements canbe treated as particles with sizes distributed according to a skewedlog-normal distribution function. In the limit of an infinitelylarge variance in the particle size, this function has the samepower-law dependence as the volume fractions of the subunits of anideal fractal object. To compute a complete set of opticalcoefficients of a prototypical soft tissue (single-scatteringcoefficient, transport scattering coefficient, backscatteringcoefficient, phase function, and asymmetry parameter), we apply Mietheory to a volume of spheres with sizes distributed according to thetheoretical distribution. A packing factor is included in thecalculation of the optical cross sections to account for correlatedscattering among tightly packed particles. The results suggest thatthe skewed log-normal distribution function, with a shape specified bya limiting fractal dimension of 3.7, is a valid approximation of thesize distribution of scatterers in tissue. In the wavelength range 600 ≤ λ ≤ 1400 nm, the diameters of the scatterers thatcontribute most to backscattering were found to be significantlysmaller (λ/4–λ/2) than the diameters of the scatterersthat cause the greatest extinction of forward-scattered light(3–4λ).

© 1998 Optical Society of America

You do not have subscription access to this journal. Citation lists with outbound citation links are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an OSA member, or as an authorized user of your institution.

Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Log in to access OSA Member Subscription

You do not have subscription access to this journal. Cited by links are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an OSA member, or as an authorized user of your institution.

Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Log in to access OSA Member Subscription

You do not have subscription access to this journal. Article level metrics are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an OSA member, or as an authorized user of your institution.

Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Log in to access OSA Member Subscription

Related Journal Articles

• Optical properties of aggregated spheres in the vicinity of a plane surface (JOSAA)
• Monolayers of discrete scatterers: comparison of the single-scattering and quasi-crystalline approximations (JOSAA)
• Scattering of electromagnetic waves from dense distributions of spheroidal particles based on Monte Carlo simulations (JOSAA)
• Scattering from particles on surfaces: visibility factor and polydispersity (OL)
• Application of a Forward-Angle-Scattering Transmissometer for Simultaneous Measurements of Particle Size and Number Density in an Optically Dense Medium (AO)

Related Conference Papers

• Quantification of Signal Distortion in Brillouin Scattering Based Slow Light Systems
• Flexible Slow and Fast Light Using Tailored Brillouin Spectra in Optical Fibers
• Distortion-Reduced Pulse-Train Propagation with Large Delay in a Triple Gain Media
• Binding energy of photonic molecule
• In vitro determination of bulk tissue optical parameters of porcine skin dermis