Validation of a handheld polarized hyperspectral imaging probe on intralipid phantom and mouse tissue

In this study, we designed a handheld polarized hyperspectral imaging (PHSI) system capable of full Stokes imaging. To enable in vivo utilization, we validated the PHSI system in Intralipid phantoms, ex vivo burned tissues, and various ex vivo organ tissues from mice. A calibration experiment was carried out using a quarter-wave plate and a half-wave plate as samples. The errors introduced by the optical components and the camera were analyzed, respectively. Using a phantom composed of varying concentrations of Intralipid solution and methylene blue as a scattering and absorbing agent, the ability of the probe to detect different levels of light scattering was assessed. Eighteen samples were used with Intralipid concentrations varying from 1 to 12 ml and methylene blue with concentrations from 0 to 4 ml. These trials resulted in a correlated trend between the concentration of the Intralipid solution and the intensity of polarization metrics. Additional validation of the system was conducted on burned ex vivo mouse muscle tissues. The results of burn tissue experiments showed visible differences in burned and non-burned tissue. Finally, images of mouse organs acquired using the probe showed different levels of light scattering, proving that our probe could reveal the structural differences among tissue types.