Application of Monte Carlo technique to time resolved transillumination: A comparison with experimental data

The growing number of laser applications in Medicine and Biology has determined a renewed interest on the study of the light transport in turbid media such as biological tissues. One of the most powerful methods used to describe this kind of process is given by the Monte Carlo techniques. We have developed a FORTKAN90 code, running on an Alpha Vax AXP DEC 2100 to simulate the transport of a photon beam with a gaussian temporal and spatial profile through a multilayered sample. The code provides the sample transmittance and reflectance(both time and space resolved) that can be compared to the experimental data. Monte Carlo calculations have been performed to simulate time-resolved transillumination through water latex and intralipid water solutions with optical properties similar to those of biological tissues. The comparison of Monte Carlo results with experimental data and with analytical solutions to diffusion equation shows a good agreement, suggesting that Monte Carlo techniques are indeed a powerful tool for predictions on light transport in turbid media.