Optimization and evaluation of a three-dimensional diffuse optical tomography system for brain imaging

Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) is an emerging imaging modality for non-invasive brain functional mapping. The hemodynamic and metabolic images derived from optical properties are unique and complementary to those of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET). In this paper we present a procedure to optimize the number of sources and detectors as well as mesh size that can be used for image reconstruction in reflectance mode through a series of numerical simulations and tissue-like phantom experiments where both the absorption and scattering images are obtained. In these studies, we also tested the system ability to image a target with small size as well as with low contrast relative to the background medium. Image results were quantitatively analyzed and discussed. © 2007 - IOS Press and the authors. All rights reserved.