Monte Carlo simulation of light-tissue interaction: three-dimensional simulation for trans-illumination-based imaging of skin lesions

Three-dimensional, voxel-based, and wavelength-dependent skin lesion models are developed and simulated using Monte Carlo techniques. The optical geometry of the Nevoscope with trans-illumination is used in the simulations for characterizing the lesion thickness. Based on the correlation analysis between the lesion thickness and the diffuse reflectance, optical wavelengths are selected for multispectral imaging of skin lesions using the Nevoscope. Tissue optical properties reported by various researchers are compiled together to form a voxel library. Tissue models used in the simulations are developed using the voxel library which offers flexibility in updating the optical properties and adding new media types into the models independent of the Monte Carlo simulation code.     

An L9 orthogonal design methodology to study the impact of operating parameters on particulate emission and related characteristics during pulse-jet filtration process

This study embodies experimental characterization of emitted particulate and filtration performance under varied situation in a pulse-jet cleaning process. Tests were conducted under simulated condition in a filtration apparatus consisting four bags. The effect of four different factors such as fabric punch density, baffle plate height, air to cloth ratio and cycle time have been investigated on the key parameters; emission, pressure drop along with PM_2.5 and average particle diameter of emitted particulate matter in a pulse-jet filtration process. Experimental investigation based on L₉-orthogonal design shows that emission is reduced with the increases in punch density and pulse cycle time; but it increases up to a certain extent with the increase in air to cloth ratio. However baffle plate height has no effect on the emission. On the other hand pressure drop across the tube sheet increases with the material consolidation, air to cloth ratio and pulse cycle time; but the above parameter first decrease with the increase in baffle plate height. PM_2.5 (based on the number distribution) is found to be mainly affected by the baffle plate height and cycle time; as it first increases and then decrease with the increase in baffle plate height but it shows reverse trend with the increase in cycle time. Average particle diameter based on number volume is found to be mainly affected by the baffle plate height and cycle time. With the increase in time of filtration, both emission and pressure drop tend to increase without affecting PM_2.5 and average particle diameter based on number volume.     

Effect of Curing Temperature on Mechanical Properties of Natural Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites

Nowadays, growing environmental concerns have led many researchers to work in the area of natural fiber reinforced polymer composites. In this work, jute fiber has been used as reinforcement and epoxy as matrix material to develop partially biodegradable green composite with the help of hand layup followed by compression molding technique. The effect of curing temperature ranging from 80°C to 130°C on different samples was investigated for various mechanical properties. Results obtained from the various tests indicate that with increase in curing temperature, impact strength decreases, but tensile and flexural strength increases and decreases thereafter attaining the maximum value at 100°C between aforementioned temperature range. The trend obtained for mechanical properties is further justified through the study of morphology with scanning electron microscopy, and optimum curing temperature has been suggested.     

Fabrication of nanodot plasmonic waveguide structures using FIB milling and electron beam‐induced deposition

Fabrication of metallic Au nanopillars and linear arrays of Au‐containing nanodots for plasmonic waveguides is reported in this article by two different processes—focused ion beam (FIB) milling of deposited thin films and electron beam‐induced deposition (EBID) of metallic nanostructures from an organometallic precursor gas. Finite difference time domain (FDTD) modeling of electromagnetic fields around metallic nanostructures was used to predict the optimal size and spacing between nanostructures useful for plasmonic waveguides. Subsequently, a multi‐step FIB fabrication method was developed for production of metallic nanorods and nanopillars of the size and geometry suggested by the results of the FDTD simulations. Nanostructure fabrication was carried out on planar substrates including Au‐coated glass, quartz, and mica slides as well as cleaved 4‐mode optical fibers. In the second fabrication process, EBID was utilized for the development of similar nanostructures on planar Indium Tin Oxide and Titanium‐coated glass substrates. Each method allows formation of nanostructures such that the plasmon resonances associated with the nanostructures could be engineered and precisely controlled by controlling the nanostructure size and shape. Linear arrays of low aspect ratio nanodot structures ranging in diameter between 50–70 nm were fabricated using EBID. Preliminary dark field optical microscopy demonstrates differences in the plasmonic response of the fabricated structures. SCANNING 31: 139–146, 2009. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Synthesis,charge transport studies,and microwave shielding behavior of nanocomposites of polyaniline with Ti-doped γ-Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript>

This article reports the synthesis, charge transport studies, and microwave shielding properties of polyaniline–Ti-doped γ-Fe₂O₃ nanocomposite. The composite has been prepared by the in situ chemical oxidative polymerization using dodecylbenzenzesulfonic acid as a dopant. These resulting polymer composites have been found thermally stability up to 260 °C with magnetization value of ~10 emu/g. The temperature dependence of electrical conductivity reveals the applicability of Mott’s 3D-VRH model. The composites has shown the shielding effectiveness of 35.64–45.20 dB (>99.99% attenuation) in 12.4–18 GHz (Ku-Band) frequency range. The enhancement of SE has been due to combination of dielectric and magnetic losses leading to decrease in skin depth increase in total (σ_T) conductivity and better matching of input impedance.     

Transillumination imaging for blood oxygen saturation estimation of skin lesions

Detecting the early stages of melanoma can be greatly assisted by an accurate estimate of subsurface blood volume and blood oxygen saturation, indicative of angiogenesis. Visualization of this blood volume present beneath a skin lesion can be achieved through the transillumination of the skin. As the absorption of major chromophores in the skin is wavelength dependent, multispectral imaging can provide the needed information to separate out relative amounts of each chromophore. However, a critical challenge to this strategy is relating the pixel intensities observed in a given image to the wavelength-dependent total absorption existing at each spatial location. Consequently, in this paper, we develop an extension to Beer's law, estimated through a novel voxel-based, parallel processing Monte Carlo simulation of light propagation in skin which takes into account the specific geometry of our transillumination imaging apparatus. We then use this relation in a linear mixing model, solved using a multispectral image set, for chromophore separation and oxygen saturation estimation of an absorbing object located at a given depth within the medium. Validation is performed through the Monte Carlo simulation, as well as by imaging on a skin phantom. Results show that subsurface oxygen saturation can be reasonably estimated with good implications for the reconstruction of 3-D skin lesion volumes using transillumination toward early detection of malignancy.