The Optical Absorption and Scattering Properties of Tissues in the Visible and Near-Infrared Wavelength Range

The development of diagnostic and therapeutic photomedicine has generated a need to determine the optical properties of tissues in the U.V., visible and infrared regions of the spectrum. In this paper we will review the experimental techniques and resulting data on the optical properties of mammalian tissues. These will include recent results from this laboratory as well as a summary of the work of other groups. Measurements are most abundant at around 630 nm, the wavelength of greatest current interest for clinical photodynamic therapy. We will use these data as the reference values for examining the wavelength-dependence of the optical properties.