Chen Yongtai, Chu Jinkui, Xin Benda, Qi Ji
Research Center for Frontier Fundamental Studies, Zhejiang Lab, Hangzhou 311100, China.
School of Mechanical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China.
Biomed Opt Express. 2024 Mar 29;15(4):2652-2665. doi: 10.1364/BOE.518756. eCollection 2024 Apr 1.
Mueller matrix imaging polarimetry (MMIP) is a promising technique for investigating structural abnormalities in pathological diagnosis. The characterization stability of polarization signatures, described by Mueller matrix parameters (MMPs), correlates with the mechanical state of the biological medium. In this study, we developed an MMIP system capable of applying quantitative forces to samples and measuring the resulting polarization signatures. Mechanical stretching experiments were conducted on a mimicking phantom and a tissue sample at different force scales. We analyzed the textural features and data distribution of MMP images and evaluated the force effect on the characterization of MMPs using the structural similarity index. The results demonstrate that changes in the mechanical microenvironment (CMM) can cause textural fluctuations in MMP images, interfering with the stability of polarization signatures. Specifically, parameters of anisotropic orientation, retardance, and optical rotation are the most sensitive to CMM, inducing a dramatic change in the overall image texture, while other parameters (e.g., polarization, diattenuation, and depolarization) exhibit locality in their response to CMM. For some MMPs, CMM can enhance regional textural contrasts. This study elucidates the mechanical stability of polarization signatures in biological tissue characterization and provides a valuable reference for further research toward minimizing CMM influence.
穆勒矩阵成像偏振测量法（MMIP）是一种用于病理诊断中研究结构异常的很有前景的技术。由穆勒矩阵参数（MMPs）描述的偏振特征的表征稳定性与生物介质的力学状态相关。在本研究中，我们开发了一种能够对样本施加定量力并测量由此产生的偏振特征的MMIP系统。在模拟体模和组织样本上以不同的力尺度进行了机械拉伸实验。我们分析了MMP图像的纹理特征和数据分布，并使用结构相似性指数评估了力对MMPs表征的影响。结果表明，机械微环境的变化（CMM）会导致MMP图像中的纹理波动，干扰偏振特征的稳定性。具体而言，各向异性取向、相位延迟和旋光性的参数对CMM最为敏感，会引起整体图像纹理的显著变化，而其他参数（如偏振、二向色性和去偏振）对CMM的响应具有局部性。对于一些MMPs，CMM可以增强区域纹理对比度。本研究阐明了生物组织表征中偏振特征的力学稳定性，并为进一步研究最小化CMM影响提供了有价值的参考。
