Monte Carlo modeling of light propagation in the human head for applications in sinus imaging

Albert E. Cerussi; Nikhil Mishra; Joon You; Naveen Bhandarkar M.D.; Brian J. F. Wong M.D.

doi:10.1117/12.2078448

26 February 2015 Monte Carlo modeling of light propagation in the human head for applications in sinus imaging

Albert E. Cerussi, Nikhil Mishra, Joon You, Naveen Bhandarkar M.D., Brian J. F. Wong M.D.

Proceedings Volume 9303, Photonic Therapeutics and Diagnostics XI; 93031Q (2015) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2078448
Event: SPIE BiOS, 2015, San Francisco, California, United States

Abstract

Sinus blockages are a common reason for physician visits, affecting 1 out of 7 in the United States. Over 20 million cases of acute bacterial sinusitis become chronic and require medical treatment. Diagnosis in the primary care setting is challenging because symptom criteria (via detailed clinical history) plus objective imaging (CT or endoscopy) is recommended. Unfortunately, neither option is routinely available in primary care. Our previous work demonstrated that low-cost near infrared (NIR) transillumination instruments produced signals that correlated with the bulk findings of sinus opacity measured by CT. We have upgraded the technology, but questions remain such as finding the optimal arrangement of light sources, measuring the influence of specific anatomical structures, and determining detection limits. In order to begin addressing these questions, we have modeled NIR light propagation inside the adult human head using a mesh-based Monte Carlo algorithm (MMCLab) applied to a detailed anatomical head model constructed from CT images. In this application the sinus itself, which under healthy conditions is a void region (e.g., non-scattering), is the region of interest instead of an obstacle to other contrast mechanisms. We report preliminary simulations that characterize the changes in detected intensity due to clear (i.e., healthy) versus blocked sinuses. We also ran simulations for two of our clinical cases and compared results with the measurements. The simulations presented herein serve as a proof of concept that this approach could be used to understand contrast mechanisms and limitations of NIR imaging of the sinus cavities.

Citation Download Citation

Albert E. Cerussi, Nikhil Mishra, Joon You, Naveen Bhandarkar M.D., and Brian J. F. Wong M.D. "Monte Carlo modeling of light propagation in the human head for applications in sinus imaging", Proc. SPIE 9303, Photonic Therapeutics and Diagnostics XI, 93031Q (26 February 2015); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2078448

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KEYWORDS

Monte Carlo methods

Near infrared

Computed tomography

Head

Photons

Tissues

Scattering

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