Method and system for tomographic imaging using fluorescent proteins
AssigneeThe General Hospital Corporation
InventorsVasilis Ntziachristos, Jorge Ripoll, Giannis Zacharakis
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Abstract
A system for optical tomography includes an apparent light source adapted to project excitation light toward a specimen having fluorescent proteins therein, wherein the excitation light enters the specimen becoming intrinsic light within the specimen, wherein the intrinsic light is adapted to excite fluorescent light from the fluorescent proteins, and wherein the intrinsic light and the fluorescent light are diffuse. A method of optical tomography includes generating the excitation light with the apparent light source, wherein the intrinsic light and the fluorescent light are diffuse.
Claims43
A system for optical tomography, comprising:
- an apparent light source configured to project excitation light toward a specimen having fluorescent proteins therein, wherein the excitation light enters the specimen becoming intrinsic light within the specimen, wherein the intrinsic light is configured to excite fluorescent light from the fluorescent proteins, and wherein at least one of the intrinsic light or the fluorescent light has a wavelength within a visible wavelength range, the visible wavelength range spanning from about 400 nanometers to about 700 nanometers;
- a light detector configured to receive the intrinsic light exiting the specimen and configured to receive the fluorescent light exiting the specimen;
- and
- an image processor coupled to the light detector and configured to use a light propagation model, wherein the light propagation model is configured to predict propagation of visible light in a diffuse medium, wherein the image processor comprises a diffusion equation processor configured to use a diffusion equation having a modified diffusion coefficient selected in accordance with the propagation of visible light in the diffuse medium throughout a substantial portion of the visible wavelength range, wherein the modified diffusion coefficient has the form
- D
- α
- =
- 1
- 3
-
- (
- μ
- s
- ′
- +
- αμ
- a
- )
- ,
- where α is a constant having a value depending on absorption, scattering, and anisotropy of the diffuse medium, μs′ is a reduced scattering coefficient, and μa is an absorption coefficient.
A method of optical tomography, comprising:
- generating excitation light with an apparent light source configured to project the excitation light toward a specimen having fluorescent proteins therein, wherein the excitation light enters the specimen becoming intrinsic light within the specimen, wherein the intrinsic light is configured to excite fluorescent light from the fluorescent proteins, and wherein at least one of the intrinsic light or the fluorescent light has a wavelength within a visible wavelength range, the visible wavelength range spanning from about 400 nanometers to about 700 nanometers;
- receiving the intrinsic light exiting the specimen;
- receiving the fluorescent light exiting the specimen;
- and
- analyzing the at least one of the intrinsic light or the emitted light with a light propagation model configured to predict propagation of visible light in a diffuse medium, wherein the light propagation model is configured to predict the propagation of the visible light having a wavelength in the visible wavelength range, wherein the light propagation model is generated in accordance with a solution to a diffusion equation having a modified diffusion coefficient selected in accordance with the propagation of visible light in the diffuse medium throughout a substantial portion of the visible wavelength range;
- wherein the modified diffusion coefficient has the form
- D
- α
- =
- 1
- 3
-
- (
- μ
- s
- ′
- +
- αμ
- a
- )
- where α is a constant having a value depending on absorption, scattering, and anisotropy of the diffuse medium, μs′ is a reduced scattering coefficient, and μais an absorption coefficient.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.