The optical properties of porcine nasal cartilage

Optical absorption and scattering coefficients have been determined for fresh and cryopreserved porcine nasal cartilage at a wavelength of 632.8 nm. Total transmission measurements were made on thin cryopreserved and fresh specimens. Cryopreserved tissue was sectioned while frozen using a microtome. Native thin fresh specimens were obtained from cartilage tissue at the junction of the cartilagenous septum and maxillary crest. Diffuse reflectance and transmittance measurements were performed on thick tissue specimens using standard integrating sphere techniques. Monte Carlo computer simulations were performed to obtain absorption and scattering coefficients, as well as the mean cosine of the scattering angle. The optical properties of porcine nasal cartilage are characterized by low absorption and high scatter. Absorption coefficients are 0.14/spl plusmn/0.05 and 0.17/spl plusmn/0.07 cm/sup -1/ for cryopreserved and fresh tissue, respectively. The corresponding cryopreserved and fresh tissue scattering coefficients are 304/spl plusmn/47 and 297/spl plusmn/68 cm/sup -1/. The scattered light is highly forward peaked as indicated by the mean cosine of the scattering angle; 0.973/spl plusmn/0.005 and 0.967/spl plusmn/0.013 for cryopreserved and fresh tissue, respectively. The results indicate that there is no statistically significant difference between the optical properties of fresh and cryopreserved porcine nasal cartilage.