Comparison of simplified Monte Carlo simulation and diffusion approximation for the fluorescence signal from phantoms with typical mouse tissue optical properties

Appl Opt. 2007 Apr 1;46(10):1686-92. doi: 10.1364/ao.46.001686.

Abstract

A simplified approach is proposed to simulate the fluorescence signal from a fluorophore submerged inside a turbid medium using the Monte Carlo method. Based on the reversibility of photon propagation, the fluorescence signal can be obtained from a single Monte Carlo simulation of the excitation light. This is computationally less expensive and also allows for the direct use of well-validated nonfluorescence photon migration Monte Carlo codes. Fluorescence signals from a mouse tissuelike phantom were computed using both the simplified Monte Carlo simulation and the diffusion approximation. The relative difference of signal intensity was found to be at most 30% for a fluorophore placed in the medium at various depths and horizontally midway between a source-detector pair separated by 3 mm. The difference in time characteristics of the signal is also examined.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Algorithms*
  • Animals
  • Computer Simulation
  • Image Enhancement / methods*
  • Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / methods*
  • Mice
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence / instrumentation
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence / methods*
  • Models, Biological
  • Models, Statistical
  • Monte Carlo Method
  • Nephelometry and Turbidimetry / methods*
  • Phantoms, Imaging
  • Refractometry / methods*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Scattering, Radiation
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Tomography, Optical / instrumentation
  • Tomography, Optical / methods*