We apply diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and pulsed photothermal radiometry (PPTR) for characterization of the bruise evolution process. While DRS provides information in a wide range of visible wavelengths, the PPTR enables extraction of detailed depth distribution and concentration profiles of selected absorbers (e.g. melanin, hemoglobin). In this study, we simulate experimental DRS spectra and PPTR signals using the Monte Carlo technique and focus on characterization of a suitable fitting approach for their analysis. We find inverse Monte Carlo to be superior to the diffusion approximation approach for the inverse analysis of DRS spectra. The analysis is then augmented with information obtainable by the fitting of the PPTR signal. We show that both techniques can be coupled in a combined fitting approach. The combining of two complementary techniques improves the robustness and accuracy of the inverse analysis, enabling a comprehensive quantitative characterization of the bruise evolution dynamics.

Date Published: 26 February 2015
PDF: 14 pages
Proc. SPIE 9303, Photonic Therapeutics and Diagnostics XI, 930307 (26 February 2015); doi: 10.1117/12.2077188

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9303:
Photonic Therapeutics and Diagnostics XI
Hyun Wook Kang; Brian J. F. Wong M.D.; Melissa C. Skala; Bernard Choi; Guillermo J. Tearney M.D.; Andreas Mandelis; Nikiforos Kollias; Kenton W. Gregory M.D.; Mark W. Dewhirst D.V.M.; Justus F. Ilgner M.D.; Alfred Nuttal; Haishan Zeng; Laura Marcu; Claus-Peter Richter, Editor(s)