2D Mueller matrix approach for tissue complete polarization characterization

The use of optical techniques in medical praxis allows practitioners to improve their tools. This improvement is realized in two main aspects, treatment and characterization of biological tissue. The former deals with methods like Photodynamic Therapy (PDT), Low Intensity Laser Therapy (LILT) or Hyperthermia. Tissue characterization by optical means is more challenging. The idea is to obtain images from biological tissues with a non-contact, non-invasive and safe procedure. The drawbacks of conventional imaging techniques, like X-Ray with its ionising radiation or ultrasound with the needed contact, are then avoided. Some of these optical techniques are for instance Confocal Microscopy or Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). The inclusion of the analysis of light polarization can increase the contrast in these images. In this work, polarization information via the Mueller matrix of the target tissue in 2D is proposed as an improved way of characterization. This matrix contains all the polarization properties of tissue, including depolarisation, so a more complete analysis can be carried out. A polarimeter, composed by linear polarizers and rotators, as long as a CCD camera, is proposed to measure 2D Mueller matrix in concrete points of a biological tissue. The importance of these diagnosis methods is crucial in preliminary detection of diseases, like cancer.