Work

Tissue Mimicking Phantoms for Biomedical Optics: A Systematic Review of Inverse Adding–Doubling Characterization and Clinical Relevance

Year: 2026

Type: review

Abstract: ABSTRACT Tissue mimicking phantoms are essential for calibration and clinical translation of biophotonic techniques. Although the inverse adding–doubling (IAD) method is widely regarded as a reference standard for determining absorption and reduced scattering coefficients, significant inter‐laboratory variability persists due to differences in integrating‐sphere configurations, loss‐compensation strategies, and model assumptions. This PRISMA‐guided review (2015–2025) analyzes 10 experimental studies and proposes a unified comparison framework based on scattering power‐law parameters to relate phantom fabrication to clinically relevant optical targets. Nonlinear regression of continuous spectra shows that selected PVC plastisol formulations reproduce dermal‐like scattering slopes and that the power‐law model provides consistent spectral descriptions (). By linking measurement methodology, spectral fitting, and mapping in space, this work provides a practical framework to interpret variability and guide development of tissue‐equivalent phantoms for reliable calibration of biophotonic devices.

Source: Journal of Biophotonics

DOI: 10.1002/jbio.70261

Authors: Elvis A. García‐Cortés, Luís M. Oliveira, Julio C. Pérez‐Sansalvador, Teresita Spezzia‐Mazzocco

Institutions: National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics, INESC TEC, Universidade Técnica do Porto, Secretaría de Ciencia, Humanidades, Tecnología e Innovación

Language: English

Topic: Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Techniques

Subfield: Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funder: Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia