Evaluation of a novel noncontact spectrally and spatially resolved reflectance setup with continuously variable source-detector separation using silicone phantoms

We present a new variant of a noncontact, oblique incidence spatially resolved reflectance setup. The continuously variable source detector separation enables adaptation to high and low albedo samples. Absorption (mu(a)) and reduced scattering coefficients (mu(s)') are determined in the wavelength range of 400-1000 nm using a lookup table, calculated by a Monte Carlo simulation of the light transport. The method is characterized by an silicone phantom study covering a wide parameter range 0.01 mm(-1) <= mu(a) <= 2.5 mm(-1) and 0.2 mm(-1) <= mu(s)' <= 10 mm(-1), which includes the optical parameters of tissue in the visible and near infrared. The influence of the incident angle and the detection aperture on the simulated remission was examined. Using perpendicular incidence and 90-deg detection aperture in the Monte Carlo simulation in contrast to the experimental situation with 30-deg incidence and 4.6-deg detection aperture is shown to be valid for the parameter range mu(s)' > 1 mm(-1) and mu(a) < 1.2 mm(-1). A Mie calculation is presented, showing that a decreasing reduced scattering coefficient for increasing absorption can be the consequence of real physics instead of cross talk. (C) 2010 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. [DOI: 10.1117/1.3526367]