Depth-resolved multimodal imaging: Wavelength modulated spatially offset Raman spectroscopy with optical coherence...

Area of Science:

• Biophotonics
• Medical Imaging
• Spectroscopy

Background:

• Multimodal imaging is crucial for deep tissue analysis in biophotonics.
• Current methods face challenges in obtaining both morphological and molecular information at depth.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and demonstrate a hybrid imaging approach integrating OCT and WM-SORS.
• To achieve enhanced Raman signal detection and depth resolution in scattering media.

Main Methods:

• Integration of optical coherence tomography (OCT) for depth colocalization.
• Application of wavelength modulated spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (WM-SORS) for molecular information.
• Testing on scattering media (lard) and biological tissue (brain).

Main Results:

• Achieved 1.2-mm penetration depth in scattering media.
• Demonstrated up to a 14-fold enhancement of Raman signal from a hidden target.
• Successfully detected pharmaceutical particles and revealed white matter in brain tissue.

Conclusions:

• The hybrid OCT-WM-SORS approach enables label-free, depth-resolved multimodal imaging.
• This technique offers a powerful solution for analyzing complex biomedical samples at depth.
• Potential applications in pharmaceutical analysis and neuroscience research.