Variations in tissue optical parameters with the incident power of an infrared laser

Infrared (IR) lasers are extensively utilized as an effective tool in many medical practices. Nevertheless, light penetration into the inspected tissue, which is highly affected by tissue optical properties, is a crucial factor for successful optical procedures. Although the optical properties are highly wavelength-dependent, they can be affected by the power of the incident laser. The present study demonstrates a considerable change in the scattering and absorption coefficients as a result of varying the incident laser power probing into biological samples at a constant laser wavelength (808 nm). The optical parameters were investigated using an integrating sphere and Kubelka-Munk model. Additionally, fluence distribution at the sample’s surface was modeled using COMSOL-multiphysics software. The experimental results were validated using Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves and Monte-Carlo simulation. The results showed that tissue scattering coefficient decreases as the incident laser power increases while the absorption coefficient experienced a slight change. Moreover, the penetration depth increases with the optical parameters. The reduction in the scattering coefficients leads to wider and more diffusive fluence rate distribution at the tissue surface. The simulation results showed a good agreement with the experimental data and revealed that tissue anisotropy may be responsible for this scattering reduction. The present findings could be considered in order for the specialists to accurately specify the laser optical dose in various biomedical applications.