Seeing Beneath the Skin with Computational Photography

From X-rays to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), methods for scanning the body have transformed how we understand and care for our health. These non-invasive techniques allow clinicians to observe and diagnose conditions while minimizing risks to the patient from invasive medical procedures. Recently, methods using red-green-blue (RGB) and near-infrared (NIR) cameras, other photosensors, such as more specialized and sophisticated tomography,6,8,40 and radio waves and Wi-Fi signals have enabled a range of new non-invasive and non-contact health monitoring techniques.1,8,12,21,22,26,28,32,33,40 Human tissue interaction with visible and infra-red light is predominantly through scattering. There are two immediate consequences to this light scattering by tissue.