Banghe Zhu

Abstract:
Noisy measurements may impact the quality of image reconstructions in fluorescence-enhanced optical tomography studies. In this contribution, different noise pre-filtration techniques were developed using fluorescence measurements of homogeneous breast phantoms. The noise pre-filtration techniques were determined based on correlation studies among various measurement parameters. We demonstrated that noise pre-filtration techniques can improve the target localization in image reconstructions when the target is deeply located (> 2 cm) in imperfect uptake case (ie target: background fluorescence absoroption contrast ratio of 100: 1). Moreover, filtration of measurement noise using different criteria can possibly differentiate the target from artifacts, potentially minimizing the false-positive cases in a clinical environment.

Abstract:
In this contribution, different measurement noise pre-filtering techniques were developed using frequency-domain fluorescence measurements of homogeneous breast phantoms. We demonstrated that implementing noise pre-filtering, based on modulation depth and measurement error in amplitude, can improve model match between experimental and simulated data under varying experimental conditions (target depths, 1-3 cm and fluorescence optical contrast, 1:0 and 100:1). Noise pre-filtering also improves the qualitative estimation of target(s) location in reconstructed images in deep target(s) when there was fluorescence in the background. Interestingly, decreases in model mismatch did not necessarily correlate with increases in reconstructed target accuracy. In addition, it was observed that pre-filtering measurement noise using different criteria can help differentiate target(s) from artifacts, thus possibly minimizing the false-positive cases in a clinical environment.