Laser polarimetry of biological tissues and fluids

The topical problem of finding a set of diagnostically relevant interconnections between of the distributions of polarization states of object fields of biological tissues and fluids and the parameters of optical anisotropy of their polycrystalline networks was considered. A model of optical anisotropy is presented as a set of birefringent biological crystals. The descriptions of the main methods of polarization mapping were provided. Polarization maps of histological sections of biological tissues and polycrystalline films of biological fluids of human organs of different morphological structure and physiological state were analyzed within the statistical (statistical moments of 1st-4th order), correlation (autocorrelation functions) and fractal (logarithmic dependencies of power spectra, fractal dimensions) approaches. Diagnostic criteria for changes in the optical anisotropy of biological layers associated with various types of pathology were determined. For students, post-graduate students, tutors and researchers working in the field of biomedical optics and diagnostics, biology, medicine.