Excitation-resolved fluorescence tomography with simplified spherical harmonics equations

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Optics
• Medical Imaging
• Fluorescence Imaging

Background:

• Fluorescence tomography (FT) reconstructs 3D fluorescent probe distribution in biological tissues.
• Current FT methods often require multiple light sources and specific wavelength ranges.
• Accurate reconstruction is crucial for understanding molecular targets and biological functions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a hyperspectral excitation-resolved fluorescence tomography (FT) method.
• To utilize a white light source with tunable wavelength selection for fluorescence stimulation.
• To exploit the spectral dependence of tissue absorption for improved 3D tomographic reconstruction.

Main Methods:

• Employing a white light source with tunable wavelength selection for fluorescence excitation.
• Utilizing simplified spherical harmonics (SP(N)) equations for source reconstruction.
• Validating the method with experimental data and a digital mouse model.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated the feasibility of hyperspectral excitation-resolved FT.
• Evaluated performance and limitations under controlled conditions.
• Investigated the impact of wavelength intervals and optical parameter map assumptions on reconstruction accuracy.

Conclusions:

• The proposed FT method offers a promising approach for 3D fluorescent probe reconstruction.
• A spectral re-scaling method is proposed to enhance accuracy in optically non-uniform tissues.
• This technique has the potential to advance molecular imaging and diagnostics.