title: A hyperspectral fluorescence lifetime probe for skin cancer diagnosis.
abstract: The autofluorescence of biological tissue can be exploited for the detection and diagnosis of disease but, to date, its complex nature and relatively weak signal levels have impeded its widespread application in biology and medicine. We present here a portable instrument designed for the in situ simultaneous measurement of autofluorescence emission spectra and temporal decay profiles, permitting the analysis of complex fluorescence signals. This hyperspectral fluorescence lifetime probe utilizes two ultrafast lasers operating at 355 and 440 nm that can excite autofluorescence from many different biomolecules present in skin tissue including keratin, collagen, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (phosphate), and flavins. The instrument incorporates an optical fiber probe to provide sample illumination and fluorescence collection over a millimeter-sized area. We present a description of the system, including spectral and temporal characterizations, and report the preliminary application of this instrument to a study of recently resected (<2 h) ex vivo skin lesions, illustrating its potential for skin cancer detection and diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: P A A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: De Beule
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dunsby
authors.forename: N P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Galletly
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Stamp
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Anand
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Anand
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Benham
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Naylor
authors.forename: P M W
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: French
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000032:analysis*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006801:Humans; D008163:Luminescent Measurements / Q000295:instrumentation*; D015336:Molecular Probe Techniques; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor