Skin color simulation - review and analysis of available Monte Carlo-based photon transport simulation models

Abstract

Optical assessment is a useful tool for non-invasive skin assessment avoiding scarring, time delayed diagnosis, hurting, and inconvenience for patient and practitioner. This has led to wide adaption of digital imaging and other optical technologies in dermatology. Many of these optical technologies lack quantifiability, therefore, the reproduction, comparison or absolute meaning of measurements or images is an open challenge. Monte Carlo simulation for multi-layered turbid media provides an accurate tool for simulating the optical path of photons traversing in the skin and the diffuse spectral reflectance of skin. With this tool at hand the missing link between health metrics and measurable optical phenomena can be provided and it can help to establish optical assessment and digital images as a standard for health monitoring of skin. A number of publicly available simulation codes and several different approaches have been proposed. In this work we give an overview of three Monte Carlo simulation tools and compare the different approaches. Furthermore, we will use Monte Carlo Simulations to generate different spectra based on varying optical properties and use these spectra to generate colour patches to analyse the impact of different optical properties on the resulting RGB colour patches.