Parallel computing with graphics processing units for high-speed Monte Carlo simulation of photon migration

General-purpose computing on graphics processing units (GPGPU) is shown to dramatically increase the speed of Monte Carlo simulations of photon migration. In a standard simulation of time-resolved photon migration in a semi-infinite geometry, the proposed methodology executed on a low-cost graphics processing unit (GPU) is a factor 1000 faster than simulation performed on a single standard processor. In addition, we address important technical aspects of GPU-based simulations of photon migration. The technique is expected to become a standard method in Monte Carlo simulations of photon migration. (C) 2008 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. [DOI: 10.1117/1.3041496]