Near-Infrared Optical Tomography

Dear Colleagues,

Optical computed tomography (CT) using near-infrared (NIR) light, which is also called near-infrared optical tomography (NIROT) or diffuse optical tomography (DOT), is one of the most sophisticated optical imaging techniques for observations through biological tissue. NIROT reconstructs images of optical properties, including the absorption (μ_a) and reduced scattering coefficients (μ_s’), within highly scattering media from measurements of the light propagation at the tissue boundary. The use of NIROT is expected to make it possible to overcome the limitations of conventional diffuse optical spectroscopy. It also offers the potential for diagnostic optical imaging. However, NIROT has been under development for more than 30 years, and the difficulties in development are mainly attributed to the fact that light is strongly scattered and that diffusive photons are used for the image reconstruction. The NIROT algorithm is based on the techniques of inverse problems, which are inherently ill-posed and highly undetermined. Because of recent advances in mathematical and computer sciences, however, it is possible to develop fast and accurate image reconstruction algorithms, and NIROT is attracting attention among scientists in not only biomedical optics but also neuroimaging. Especially, deep-learning (DL), time-domain (TD) measurement and radiative transfer equation (RTE) is becoming increasingly popular. This Special Issue aims to demonstrate the cutting edge of NIROT. It covers all aspects of NIROT, including the image reconstruction algorithm, theory of light propagation in biological tissue, advances in hardware and instrumentation, simulation studies and practical implementation.

Prof. Dr. Yoko Hoshi
Guest Editor

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