Real-time diffuse optical tomography based on structured illumination

TLDR

The study develops a new optical acquisition scheme using a pair of digital micromirror devices for three‑dimensional tomographic imaging of turbid media. The method employs dual digital micromirror devices for structured illumination and uses a GPU‑based reconstruction algorithm to deliver optical images at 2 Hz. The approach achieves high‑resolution quantitative volumetric imaging of absorption heterogeneities in optically thick samples, offers significant cost savings by requiring only a single detector, and can potentially increase frame rates.

Abstract

A new optical acquisition scheme based on a pair of digital micromirror devices is developed and applied to three-dimensional tomographic imaging of turbid media. By using pairs of illumination-detection patterns with a single detector, we were able to perform high-resolution quantitative volumetric imaging of absorption heterogeneities embedded in optically thick samples. Additionally, a tomographic reconstruction algorithm was implemented on a graphical processor unit to provide optical reconstructions at a frame rate of 2 Hz. The structured illumination method proposed in this work has significant cost advantages over camera systems, as only a single detector is required. This configuration also has the potential to increase frame rate.