Efficient inversion strategies for estimating optical properties with Monte Carlo radiative transport models

Macdonald, Callum M.; Arridge, Simon; Powell, Samuel

Abstract

Significance: Indirect imaging problems in biomedical optics generally require repeated evaluation of forward models of radiative transport, for which Monte Carlo is accurate yet computationally costly. We develop an approach to reduce this bottleneck, which has significant implications for quantitative tomographic imaging in a variety of medical and industrial applications.

Aim: Our aim is to enable computationally efficient image reconstruction in (hybrid) diffuse optical modalities using stochastic forward models.

Approach: Using Monte Carlo, we compute a fully stochastic gradient of an objective function for a given imaging problem. Leveraging techniques from the machine learning community, we then adaptively control the accuracy of this gradient throughout the iterative inversion scheme to substantially reduce computational resources at each step.

Results: For example problems of quantitative photoacoustic tomography and ultrasound-modulated optical tomography, we demonstrate that solutions are attainable using a total computational expense that is comparable to (or less than) that which is required for a single high-accuracy forward run of the same Monte Carlo model.

Conclusions: This approach demonstrates significant computational savings when approaching the full nonlinear inverse problem of optical property estimation using stochastic methods.

Citation

Macdonald, C. M., Arridge, S., & Powell, S. (2020). Efficient inversion strategies for estimating optical properties with Monte Carlo radiative transport models. Journal of Biomedical Optics, 25(08), Article 085002. https://doi.org/10.1117/1.jbo.25.8.085002

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 23, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Aug 14, 2020
• Publication Date: 2020-08
• Deposit Date: Aug 14, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 18, 2020
• Journal: Journal of Biomedical Optics
• Print ISSN: 1083-3668
• Electronic ISSN: 1560-2281
• Publisher: Society of Photo-optical Instrumentation Engineers
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 25
• Issue: 08
• Article Number: 085002
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1117/1.jbo.25.8.085002
• Keywords: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics; Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials; Biomaterials; Biomedical Engineering
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4830671
• Publisher URL: https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/journals/journal-of-biomedical-optics/volume-25/issue-08/085002/Efficient-inversion-strategies-for-estimating-optical-properties-with-Monte-Carlo/10.1117/1.JBO.25.8.085002.full?SSO=1