Review of the Application of T-Matrix Calculations for Determining the Structure of Cell Nuclei With Angle-Resolved Light Scattering Measurements

Biomedical applications of light scattering have traditionally relied on Mie theory as a theoretical basis for analyzing experimental measurements. While this approach is computationally accessible, the use of Mie theory cannot always account for the spheroidal nature of biological scatterers such as cell nuclei. As an alternative, we have developed light scattering codes based on the T-matrix formalism to analyze angle-resolved light scattering measurements. In this paper, we discuss the development of computer codes to create a database of scattering profiles, validation of the database using experimental measurements of tissue phantoms containing spheroidal scatterers, and recent applications of the approach to analyze the structure of cell nuclei. The reviewed studies show that while the T-matrix approach adds important information for some light scattering studies, the additional computational cost may not always be justified when compared to the Mie theory.