Because of its broad applicability to biomedicine, vision systems and geophysics, the vast subject of polarization imaging has been receiving much attention. More specifically, there have been many review books similar to this one. The purpose of this book is to provide an overview of the mapping and analysis of optical anisotropy (birefringence and dichroism) properties of biological materials.The book has its strong points: the emphasis on laser polarimetry and broad discussions on the determination of tumor borders.
As to the shortcomings, one would hope that even though the book is largely concerned with imaging of tumors of the prostate tissues, the complete measurement of the scattering Mueller matrix by biological tissues and its calibration would at least be discussed, and the different concepts of Stokes-Mueller polarimetry mentioned; for instance, Mueller-Jones matrix, depolarization and retardance, polar and differential decompositions for extraction of optical parameters and polarization memory. Likewise, the recent advances in Mueller matrix imaging polarimetry using fast and single-snapshot acquisition are not covered.
This book is intended primarily for graduate students in biomedical and clinical applications of polarimetry but will also serve as a reference for researchers in polarized light diagnostics and imaging of prostate cancer.
Review by Christian Brosseau, Optica Fellow and professor of physics, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Brest, France.