New reconstruction technique for 3 dimensional structure in shallow layer of turbid medium using optical transillumination images - Attempt for reconstruction with limited view angle

In transillumination imaging of an animal body with near-infrared light, the shallower structure appears clearer. Therefore, we can reconstruct the three dimensional (3D) image of the shallow structure using the transillumination images as the projection images. In the 3D reconstruction, it may be better to use the projection images of limited observation-angle range rather than those from 360° range. We investigated this possibility and devised a new technique to reconstruct the 3D image of the light absorbing structure in shallow region of a turbid medium. This technique is applicable to the turbid object without any a priori knowledge on the angular position of the absorbing structure. The feasibility of the proposed technique was verified in experiments.