We examined the expression of target optical properties in subsurface polarization imaging under linearly and circularly polarized illumination. Reflecting, scattering, and absorption targets were imaged in tissue mimic phantoms. The polarization gated images were compared with raw and unpolarized images to determine image enhancement as a function of target depth. The experimental results were also compared with Monte-Carlo simulations to study the model’s applicability. Our results indicated that polarization imaging provided a means to separate different optical targets where they would otherwise appear similar under unpolarized light.

© 2005 Optical Society of America

1. S. G. Demos and R.R. Alfano, �??Optical polarization imaging,�?? Appl. Opt. 36, 150-155 (1997). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
2. W. Groner, J. W. Winkelman, A. G. Harris, C. Ince, G. J. Bouma, K. Messmer, and R. G. Nadeau, �??Orthogonal polarization spectral imaging: A new method for study of the microcirculation,�?? Nature Medicine 5, 1209-1213(1999). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
3. S. G. Demos, H. B. Radousky, and R. R. Alfano, �??Deep subsurface imaging in tissues using spectral and polarization filtering,�?? Opt. Express 7, 23-28(2000). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
4. S. P. Morgan and I.M. Stockford, "Surface-reflection elimination in polarization imaging of superficial tissue," Opt. Lett. 28, 114-116(2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
5. V. Backman, R. Gurjar, K. Badizadegan, I. Itzkan, P.R. Dasari, L.T. Perelman, and M.S. Feld, �??Polarized light scattering spectroscopy for quantitative measurement of epithelial cellular structures in situ,�?? IEEE J. Quantum Electron 5, 1019-1026(1999) [CrossRef]
6. S. G. Demos, A.J. Papadopoulos, H. Savage, A.S. Heerdt, S. Schantz, and P.R. Alfano, �??Polarization filter for biomedical tissue optical imaging,�?? Photochemistry & Photobiology 66, 821-5(1997). [CrossRef]
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12. X. Ni and R. R. Alfano, �??Time-resolved backscattering of circularly and linearly polarized light in a turbid medium,�?? Opt. Express 29, 2773-2775(2004).
13. G. Yao, �??Differential optical polarization imaging in turbid media with different embedded objects,�?? Opt. Comm. 241, 255-261(2004). [CrossRef]
14. Y. Pan, R. Birngruber, R. Engelhardt, �??Contrast limits of coherence-gated imaging in scattering media,�?? Appl. Opt. 36, 2979-2983 (1997). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
15. A. D. Kim and M. Moscoso, �??Backscattering of circularly polarized pulses,�?? Opt. Lett. 27, 1589�??1591 (2002). [CrossRef]
16. I. M. Stockford, S. P. Morgan, P. C. Y. Chang, and J. G. Walker, "Analysis of the spatial distribution of polarized light backscattered from layered scattering media," J. Biomed. Opt. 7, 313-320(2002) [CrossRef] [PubMed]
17. H. J. van Staveren, C. J. M. Moes, J. van Marle, S. A. Prahl, and M. J. C. van Gemert, "Light scattering in Intralipid-10% in the wavelength range of 400-1100nm," Appl. Opt. 30, 4507-4514(1991). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
18. N. Ghosh, H. S. Patel, and P. K. Gupta, �??Depolarization of light in tissue phantoms �?? effect of a distribution in the size of scatterers,�?? Opt. Express 11, 2198-2205 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Appl. Opt.

• S. G. Demos and R.R. Alfano, �??Optical polarization imaging,�?? Appl. Opt. 36, 150-155 (1997). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• Y. Pan, R. Birngruber, R. Engelhardt, �??Contrast limits of coherence-gated imaging in scattering media,�?? Appl. Opt. 36, 2979-2983 (1997). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• H. J. van Staveren, C. J. M. Moes, J. van Marle, S. A. Prahl, and M. J. C. van Gemert, "Light scattering in Intralipid-10% in the wavelength range of 400-1100nm," Appl. Opt. 30, 4507-4514(1991). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

IEEE J. Quantum Electron

• V. Backman, R. Gurjar, K. Badizadegan, I. Itzkan, P.R. Dasari, L.T. Perelman, and M.S. Feld, �??Polarized light scattering spectroscopy for quantitative measurement of epithelial cellular structures in situ,�?? IEEE J. Quantum Electron 5, 1019-1026(1999) [CrossRef]

J. Biomed. Opt.

• S. L. Jacques, J. C. Ramella-Roman, and K. Lee, "Imaging skin pathology with polarized light," J. Biomed. Opt. 7, 329-340(2002). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• V. Sankaran, J. T. Walsh, and D. J. Maitland, "Comparative study of polarized light propagation in biologic tissues," J. Biomed. Opt. 7, 300-306(2002). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• I. M. Stockford, S. P. Morgan, P. C. Y. Chang, and J. G. Walker, "Analysis of the spatial distribution of polarized light backscattered from layered scattering media," J. Biomed. Opt. 7, 313-320(2002) [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Lasers in Surg. & Med.

• S. L. Jacques, J. R. Roman, and K. Lee, "Imaging superficial tissues with polarized light," Lasers in Surg. & Med. 26, 119�??129(2000). [CrossRef]

Nature Medicine

• W. Groner, J. W. Winkelman, A. G. Harris, C. Ince, G. J. Bouma, K. Messmer, and R. G. Nadeau, �??Orthogonal polarization spectral imaging: A new method for study of the microcirculation,�?? Nature Medicine 5, 1209-1213(1999). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Comm.

• G. Yao, �??Differential optical polarization imaging in turbid media with different embedded objects,�?? Opt. Comm. 241, 255-261(2004). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

• X. Ni and R. R. Alfano, �??Time-resolved backscattering of circularly and linearly polarized light in a turbid medium,�?? Opt. Express 29, 2773-2775(2004).
• N. Ghosh, H. S. Patel, and P. K. Gupta, �??Depolarization of light in tissue phantoms �?? effect of a distribution in the size of scatterers,�?? Opt. Express 11, 2198-2205 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• S. G. Demos, H. B. Radousky, and R. R. Alfano, �??Deep subsurface imaging in tissues using spectral and polarization filtering,�?? Opt. Express 7, 23-28(2000). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Lett.

• S. P. Morgan and I.M. Stockford, "Surface-reflection elimination in polarization imaging of superficial tissue," Opt. Lett. 28, 114-116(2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• V. Sankaran, M.J. Everett, D.J. Maitland, and J.T.Walsh, "Comparison of polarized-light propagation in biological tissue and phantoms," Opt. Lett. 24, 1044-1046(1999). [CrossRef]
• V. Sankaran, J. T. Walsh, and D. J. Maitland, "Polarized light propagation through tissue phantoms containing densely packed scatterers," Opt. Lett. 25, 239-241(2000). [CrossRef]
• A. D. Kim and M. Moscoso, �??Backscattering of circularly polarized pulses,�?? Opt. Lett. 27, 1589�??1591 (2002). [CrossRef]

Photochemistry & Photobiology

• S. G. Demos, A.J. Papadopoulos, H. Savage, A.S. Heerdt, S. Schantz, and P.R. Alfano, �??Polarization filter for biomedical tissue optical imaging,�?? Photochemistry & Photobiology 66, 821-5(1997). [CrossRef]

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