In vivo measurement of the optical properties of human tissues in the wavelength range 610-1010 nm

In vivo absorption and scattering spectra of different human tissues were obtained using a system for time-resolved reflectance measurements in the wavelength range from 610 nm to 1010 nm, every 5 nm. The system is based on a dye laser and a Ti:Sapphire laser as light sources and an electronic chain for time-correlated single-photon counting for detection. Measurements were performed on the breast, the arm, and the abdomen of healthy volunteers. The scattering spectra are decreasing upon increasing the wavelength, while the absorption spectra show the spectral features of oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin, of water, and of lipids.