title: In-vivo NIR autofluorescence imaging of rat mammary tumors.
abstract: We investigate in vivo detection of mammary tumors in a rat model using autofluorescence imaging in the red and far-red spectral regions. The objective was to explore this method for non-invasive detection of malignant tumors and correlation between autofluorescence properties of tumors and their pathologic status. Eighteen tumor-bearing rats, bearing eight benign and seventeen malignant tumors were imaged. Autofluorescence images were acquired using spectral windows centered at 700-nm, 750-nm and 800-nm under laser excitation at 632.8-nm and 670- nm. Intensity in the autofluorescence images of malignant tumors under 670-nm excitation was higher than that of the adjacent normal tissue. whereas intensity of benign tumors was lower compared to normal tissue.
authors.forename: Laure S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Fournier
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lucidi
authors.forename: Kirill
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Berejnoi
authors.forename: Theodore
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Stavros G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Demos
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Brasch