Two-dimensional Fast Surface Imaging Using a Handheld Optical Device: In Vitro and In Vivo Fluorescence Studies

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Optics
• Medical Imaging
• Optical Diagnostics

Background:

• Near-infrared (NIR) optical imaging offers noninvasive, nonionizing breast cancer diagnostics.
• Existing handheld NIR devices primarily focus on spectroscopy.
• A novel probe-based device is being developed for area imaging and tomography.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate the fast 2D surface imaging capabilities of a novel handheld NIR optical imaging device.
• To evaluate the device's performance in tissue phantoms, in vitro, and in vivo models.
• To assess the potential for clinical breast imaging applications.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a novel handheld probe-based optical imaging device for fluorescence imaging.
• Employed indocyanine green as a fluorescence contrast agent.
• Conducted studies on liquid phantoms, in vitro, and in vivo tissue models with targets of varying size and depth.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated fast 2D surface imaging (approx. 5 seconds) over large areas (36 cm(2)).
• Successfully differentiated targets from background in various tissue models.
• Showcased the device's ability to provide a preliminary estimate of target location.

Conclusions:

• The flexible handheld NIR optical imager is feasible for fast 2D surface imaging.
• This technology shows promise for preliminary localization of targets in breast imaging.
• Further 3D tomographic analysis will build upon these surface imaging capabilities.