The use of a non-contact Fourier interferometric, hyperspectral imaging system to quantify the absorption and reduced scattering coefficients of tissue-like turbid media over a broad spectral range

Summary form only given. The absorption and reduced scattering parameters /spl mu//sub a/ and /spl mu//sub s/' respectively of a turbid medium, such as tissue, can be used to characterize its composition and structure. For instance, /spl mu//sub a/ and /spl mu//sub s/' of tissue can provide information on a variety of physiological processes. Absorption spectrum is used to quantify the concentration of biologically important chromophores, such as hemoglobin, myoglobin, water, fat, and near-infrared absorbing drugs. Scattering properties offer insight into the composition, density, and organization of tissue structures, such as cells, sub-cellular organelles, and connective tissue/extracellular matrix. Since changes in these components generally accompany pathologic transformations and physiological processes, techniques for non-invasively quantifying /spl mu//sub a/ and /spl mu//sub s/' in vivo have generated intense interest. One approach for characterizing /spl mu//sub a/ and /spl mu//sub s/' of turbid media is to use the spatially-resolved steady-state diffuse reflectance. In this study, we investigate the feasibility of using hyperspectral images of the diffuse reflectance to quantify /spl mu//sub a/ and /spl mu//sub s/' over a continuous and broad spectral range.