Time resolved transillumination: Simulation and comparative results

A Monte Carlo simulation has been developed to predict the quality of time resolved images of the breast by transillumination. The smallest diameter of a detectable carcinoma located in the breast has been computed. The simulation suggests that time resolved imaging of the breast is possible and invaluable in the near infra-red (NIR) by transillumination. The estimated diameter of the smallest detectable sphere is de rived from the image quality index theory (or IQI theory) and its value is around 4 mm.