Method and apparatus for depth-resolved fluorescence, chromophore, and oximetry imaging for lesion identification during surgery

A tomographic fluorescent imaging device for imaging fluorophores in biological tissues comprising:

• a light source configured to provide a beam of light, the beam of light having wavelength near a first stimulus wavelength;
• a scanner configured to scan the beam of light across biological tissues;
• a lens configured to collect light from the biological tissues, the light from the biological tissues being received at an angle to the beam of light;
• a first electronic camera system configured to capture a series of images, the series of images comprising stimulus wavelength images at a plurality of positions of the beam of light and fluorescence emission images at a plurality of positions of the beam of light, the fluorescence emission images captured using light at a second wavelength collected by the lens and passed by a first filter configured to block light of the first stimulus wavelength;
• at least a second optical electronic camera, the system being configured to generate a stereoscopic pair of images of the biological tissues using two electronic cameras, the two electronic cameras including the second electronic camera;
• an image processing system configured to compute a three-dimensional model of a surface of the biological tissues from the stereoscopic pair of images;
• wherein the image processing system is configured to use the three-dimensional model of the surface in constructing a model of transmission of the beam of light through the biological tissues;
• wherein the image processing system is configured to fit absorbance parameters of the model of transmission of the beam of light to the stimulus wavelength images;
• wherein the image processing system is further configured to derive images representing a three-dimensional distribution of fluorophore in the biological tissues from the series of fluorescence emission images by fitting fluorophore concentration parameters for each of a plurality of voxels of the model of transmission of the beam of light through the tissues to the fluorescence emission images, and generating tomographic images representing the three-dimensional distribution of fluorophore from the fitted fluorophore concentration parameters of the voxels of the model.