title: Real-time intraoperative fluorescence imaging system using light-absorption correction.
abstract: We present a novel fluorescence imaging system developed for real-time interventional imaging applications. The system implements a correction scheme that improves the accuracy of epi-illumination fluorescence images for light intensity variation in tissues. The implementation is based on the use of three cameras operating in parallel, utilizing a common lens, which allows for the concurrent collection of color, fluorescence, and light attenuation images at the excitation wavelength from the same field of view. The correction is based on a ratio approach of fluorescence over light attenuation images. Color images and video is used for surgical guidance and for registration with the corrected fluorescence images. We showcase the performance metrics of this system on phantoms and animals, and discuss the advantages over conventional epi-illumination systems developed for real-time applications and the limits of validity of corrected epi-illumination fluorescence imaging.
authors.affiliation: Technische Universitat München, Institute for Biological and Medical Imaging, Arcisstrasse 21, 80333 München, Germany.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Themelis
authors.forename: Jung Sun
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: Kwang-Sup
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Soh
authors.forename: Ralf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.forename: Vasilis
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ntziachristos
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D000818:Animals; D004867:Equipment Design; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008027:Light; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D013050:Spectrometry, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D014741:Video Recording