Method and system for near-infrared fluorescence contrast-enhanced imaging with area illumination and area detection
AssigneeThe Texas A&M University System
InventorsEva M. Sevick-Muraca, Alan B. Thompson, Roy Ranadhir
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Abstract
According to one embodiment of the invention, a method for biomedical imaging includes directing time-varying excitation light at a surface area of a light scattering material, the material comprising a fluorescent target. Time-varying emission light from the fluorescent target is detected, substantially at a two-dimensional sensor surface, in response to the time-varying excitation light stimulating the fluorescent target. The time-varying emission light is filtered to reject excitation light re-emitted from the material. A three-dimensional image of the fluorescent target is generated based on the detection substantially at the sensor surface.
Claims21
A method of imaging, comprising:
- directing time-varying excitation light at a surface area of a tissue, the tissue comprising a fluorescent target;
- modulating the intensity of the excitation light at a radio frequency;
- detecting, substantially at a two-dimensional sensor surface, time-varying emission light from the fluorescent target in response to the time-varying excitation light stimulating the fluorescent target;
- filtering the time-varying emission light to reject excitation light re-emitted from the material;
- determining a spatial distribution of amplitude and phase-delay of the detected time-varying emission light;
- detecting time-varying excitation light specularly-reflected by the fluorescent target;
- determining a spatial distribution of amplitude and phase-delay of the time-varying excitation light incident on the surface area based on the reflected time-varying excitation light;
- and
- generating a three-dimensional image of the fluorescent target based on the spatial distributions of the incident time-varying excitation light and the time-varying emission light.
A method of imaging, comprising:
- directing time-varying excitation light at a surface area of a light scattering material, the material comprising a fluorescent target;
- detecting, substantially at a two-dimensional sensor surface, time-varying emission light from the fluorescent target in response to the time-varying excitation light stimulating the fluorescent target;
- filtering the time-varying emission light to reject excitation light re-emitted from the material;
- and
- generating a three-dimensional image of the fluorescent target based on the detection substantially at the sensor surface.
A system for imaging, comprising:
- a laser diode operable to direct time-varying excitation light at a surface area of a light scattering material, the material comprising a fluorescent target;
- an image intensifier operable to detecting, substantially at a two-dimensional sensor surface, time-varying emission light from the fluorescent target in response to the time-varying excitation light stimulating the fluorescent target;
- one or more optical filters operable to filter the time-varying emission light to reject excitation light re-emitted from the material;
- and
- an imaging apparatus operable to generate a three-dimensional image of the fluorescent target based on the detection substantially at the sensor surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.