Modeling torso imaging via time-domain diffuse correlation spectroscopy

Abstract

Medical imaging is vital to the timely diagnosis of internal hemorrhaging and the prevention of fatalities. This thesis aims to contribute to this field by examining the efficacy of time-domain diffuse correlation spectroscopy (TD-DCS) as a means of imaging bleeding within the torso. TD-DCS is a new, powerful imaging technique with primary application of measuring blood flow in the brain. Here we show both how this novel imaging technique can be expanded for use in other regions beyond the brain as well as how we hypothesized and modeled the technique's ability to detect internal bleeding consistent with the trauma-related injury of non-compressible torso hemorrhaging (NCTH). In the constructed models, blood thickness changes from four to six millimeters were detectable at the hepatic vein region within the liver. By using Monte Carlo models, trillions of photons were simulated to approximate results taken across a multi-second measurement. The results show promise for the technique and recommend the construction of a testbed for further testing.