Platform for quantitative multiscale imaging of tissue composition

Changes in the multi-level physical structure of biological features going from cellular to tissue level composition is a key factor in many major diseases. However, we are only beginning to understand the role of these structural changes because there are few dedicated multiscale imaging platforms with sensitivity at both the cellular and macrostructural spatial scale. A single platform reduces bias and complications from multiple sample preparation methods and can ease image registration. In order to address these needs, we have developed a multiscale imaging system using a range of imaging modalities sensitive to tissue composition: Ultrasound, Second Harmonic Generation Microscopy, Multiphoton Microscopy, Optical Coherence Tomography, and Enhanced Backscattering. This paper details the system design, the calibration for each modality, and a demonstration experiment imaging a rabbit eye.