Characterizing light propagation in bone for photodynamic therapy ofosteosarcoma

This work aims at characterizing how light propagates through bone in order to efficiently guide treatment of osteosarcoma with photodynamic therapy (PDT). Optical properties of various bone tissues need to be characterized in order to have a working model of light propagation in bone. Bone tissues of particular interest include cortical bone, red and yellow marrow, cancellous bone, and bone cancers themselves. With adequate knowledge of optical properties of osseous tissues, light dosimetry can determine how best to deliver adequate light to achieve phototoxic effects within bone. An optical fiber source-collector pair is used for diffuse reflectance spectroscopic measurements in order to determine the scattering and absorption properties of bone tissues. Native absorbers of interest at visible and near-TR wavelengths include water and oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin. A cylindrically symmetric Monte Carlo model is then used, incorporating these results, in order to predict and guide the delivery of light within bone in order to achieve the desired phototoxic effect in PDT.