Diffuse optical characterization of collagen absorption from 500 to 1700 nm

Reduction in scattering, high absorption, and spectral features of tissue constituents above 1000 nm could help in gaining higher spatial resolution, penetration depth, and specificity for in vivo studies, opening possibilities of near-infrared diffuse optics in tissue diagnosis. We present the characterization of collagen absorption over a broadband range (500 to 1700 nm) and compare it with spectra presented in the literature. Measurements were performed using a time-domain diffuse optical technique. The spectrum was extracted by carefully accounting for various spectral distortion effects, due to sample and system properties. The contribution of several tissue constituents (water, lipid, collagen, oxy, and deoxy-hemoglobin) to the absorption properties of a collagen-rich in vivo bone location, such as radius distal in the 500- to 1700-nm wavelength region, is also discussed, suggesting bone diagnostics as a potential area of interest.