University of Cantabria , Spain

Light propagation in turbid media is specifically relevant in the field of biomedical optics, as biological tissues are strongly turbid media. Diagnostic or treatment applications require information regarding the spatial distribution of optical energy. This is crucial for planning the therapeutic effect or the quality of the diagnostic images obtained. In this work we compare two numerical approaches for light propagation in biological tissues. The Monte Carlo approach provides a phase-insensitive method for light propagation. On the other hand, we implement a phase-sensitive approach based on Maxwell equations. The results of both approaches are discussed.