Systems and methods for measuring water and lipid content in tissue samples

An imaging system for measuring blood lipid content in a blood vessel in a tissue sample, the imaging system comprising:

• a light source configured to emit a plurality of sequential wavelengths of light at a predetermined interval, each of the plurality of sequential wavelengths of light being within a predetermined range of wavelengths;
• a spatial modulation device configured to direct each of the plurality of sequential wavelengths of light emitted from the light source onto a tissue sample plane and cause each of the plurality of sequential wavelengths of light to generate:
• (i) a first plurality of patterns on the issue sample plane at a first spatial frequency, and (ii) a second plurality of patterns on the tissue sample plane at a second spatial frequency;
• an imaging device configured to generate (i) first image data reproducible as images of each of the first plurality of patterns and (ii) second image data reproducible as images each of the second plurality of patterns;
• and
• a controller including one or more processors and one or more memory devices, at least one of the one or more memory devices storing computer-readable instructions configured to cause at least one of the one or more processors to:
• generate, using the first image data, a first demodulated image associated with the first spatial frequency for each of the plurality of sequential wavelengths of light;
• determine a first diffuse reflectance value for each of a plurality of locations on the tissue sample plane for each of the plurality of sequential wavelength based on the first demodulated image;
• generate, using the second image data, a second demodulated image associated with the second spatial frequency for each of the plurality of sequential wavelengths of light;
• determine a second diffuse reflectance value for each of the plurality of locations on the tissue sample plane for each of the plurality of sequential wavelength based on the second demodulated image;
• determine, based on the first diffuse reflectance value and the second diffuse reflectance value, (i) a first optical property and (ii) a second optical property for each of the plurality of locations on the sample plane for each of the plurality of sequential wavelengths of light;
• determine a molar concentration for a plurality of chromophores based on the first optical property and the second optical property, the plurality of chromophores including a lipid, oxy-hemoglobin, and de-oxy hemoglobin;
• identify a blood vessel in the tissue sample based at least in part on the determined first optical property, the determined second optical property, or both at each of the plurality of locations on the plane of the tissue sample;
• and
• determine a blood lipid content in the identified blood vessel in the tissue sample based on the molar concentration of the plurality of chromophores.