Mueller matrix polarimetry for characterizing microstructural variation of nude mouse skin during tissue optical clearing.

We investigate the polarization features corresponding to changes in the microstructure of nude mouse skin during immersion in a glycerol solution. By comparing the Mueller matrix imaging experiments and Monte Carlo simulations, we examine in detail how the Mueller matrix elements vary with the immersion time. The results indicate that the polarization features represented by Mueller matrix elements m22&m33&m44 and the absolute values of m34&m43 are sensitive to the immersion time. To gain a deeper insight on how the microstructures of the skin vary during the tissue optical clearing (TOC), we set up a sphere-cylinder birefringence model (SCBM) of the skin and carry on simulations corresponding to different TOC mechanisms. The good agreement between the experimental and simulated results confirm that Mueller matrix imaging combined with Monte Carlo simulation is potentially a powerful tool for revealing microscopic features of biological tissues.