title: Improvement of transcutaneous fluorescent images with a depth-dependent point-spread function.
abstract: The point-spread function (PSF) for transcutaneous fluorescent imaging was obtained as an analytical solution in a closed form. It is applicable to cases in which the optical property of the image-blurring turbid medium is considered to be fairly homogeneous. We proposed a technique to improve a transcutaneous image by using depth-dependent PSF. Contrast of the fluorescent image was improved for depths of 1-15 mm in a scattering medium (micro(s)' = 1/mm). The visible depth was more than doubled with this technique. An experiment with a rat demonstrated considerable improvement of a transcutaneous image of the cerebral vein at a specified depth. The spread image of the heart was reduced to the correct size by use of the PSF with the actual depth of the heart.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0814, Japan. shimizu@bme.ist.hokudai.ac.jp
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tochio
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kato
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000379:methods; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology; D041622:Tomography, Optical / Q000379:methods*; D014930:Women