Quantification by random walk of the optical parameters of nonlocalized abnormalities embedded within tissuelike phantoms

We have extended a random-walk theory that uses time-dependent contrast functions to quantify the cross section and the corrected scattering and absorption coefficients of abnormal nonlocalized targets from time-of-flight (TOF) data obtained in time-resolved transillumination experiments. Experimental TOF's are used to show that this newly developed random-walk method is able to quantify the size and the optical properties of embedded nonlocalized targets in with an error rate of less than or equal to 25%. (C) 2000 Optical Society of America.