Abstract

A system for time-resolved reflectance spectroscopy was used to measure the absorption spectrum of the breast at different angular positions. Spectra were taken from 615 up to 1000 nm every 5 nm on 8 different locations of the right breast of 2 healthy volunteers. The absorption spectra remarkably changed as a function of positions in both ladies, with major differences among the 2 subjects. A fit of the spectra with the combination of the absorption spectrum of water, lipid, oxy-, and deoxy-hemoglobin permitted to derive the mean concentrations of these main tissue constituents, and to quantify the relative changes as a function of position.

© 2000 Optical Society of America