Near-Infrared (NIR) Diffuse Optical Tomography (DOT) is a non-invasive imaging technique which is used to obtain functional and physiological images of soft tissue, such as the female breast, specifically for the detection and characterization of breast cancer. The vast majority of the work to date has been limited to two dimensional (2D) models which have provided valuable insight into tissue function and physiology enabling a better understanding of tumor development and treatment. Although the 2D image reconstruction approach is fast and computationally efficient, it has limitations as it does not correctly represent the volume under investigation and therefore do not provide the most accurate model for image reconstruction. Three dimensional (3D) modeling and image reconstruction is becoming more accessible through the development of sophisticated numerical models and computationally fast algorithms. A robust and general method is presented which reconstructs 3D functional images using a more accurate and realistic spectral model of 3D light propagation in tissue. Results from a single patient example are presented to demonstrate the clinical importance of 3D image reconstruction in optical tomography for the detection and characterization of breast cancer.
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