title: Quantum cascade laser-based hyperspectral imaging of biological tissue.
abstract: The spectroscopy of analyte-specific molecular vibrations in tissue thin sections has opened up a path toward histopathology without the need for tissue staining. However, biomedical vibrational imaging has not yet advanced from academic research to routine histopathology due to long acquisition times for the microscopic hyperspectral images and/or cost and availability of the necessary equipment. Here we show that the combination of a fast-tuning quantum cascade laser with a microbolometer array detector allows for a rapid image acquisition and bares the potential for substantial cost reduction. A 3.1 x 2.8 mm2 unstained thin section of mouse jejunum has been imaged in the 9.2 to 9.7 μm wavelength range (spectral resolution ~1 cm(-1)) within 5 min with diffraction limited spatial resolution. The comparison of this hyperspectral imaging approach with standard Fourier transform infrared imaging or mapping of the identical sample shows a reduction in acquisition time per wavenumber interval and image area by more than one or three orders of magnitude, respectively.
authors: University of Heidelberg, Kirchhoff Institute for Physics, Im Neuenheimer Feld 227, Heidelberg, 69120 Germany.
authors: Niels
authors: N
authors: Kröger
authors: University of Heidelberg, Kirchhoff Institute for Physics, Im Neuenheimer Feld 227, Heidelberg, 69120 Germany.
authors: Alexander
authors: A
authors: Egl
authors: University of Heidelberg, Kirchhoff Institute for Physics, Im Neuenheimer Feld 227, Heidelberg, 69120 Germany.
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Engel
authors: University of Heidelberg, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Medical Research Center, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, Mannheim, 68167 Germany.
authors: Norbert
authors: N
authors: Gretz
authors: University of Heidelberg, Kirchhoff Institute for Physics, Im Neuenheimer Feld 227, Heidelberg, 69120 Germany.
authors: Katharina
authors: K
authors: Haase
authors: University of Heidelberg, Kirchhoff Institute for Physics, Im Neuenheimer Feld 227, Heidelberg, 69120 Germany.
authors: Iris
authors: I
authors: Herpich
authors: University of Heidelberg, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Medical Research Center, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, Mannheim, 68167 Germany.
authors: Bettina
authors: B
authors: Kränzlin
authors: University of Heidelberg, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Medical Research Center, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, Mannheim, 68167 Germany.
authors: Sabine
authors: S
authors: Neudecker
authors: University of Heidelberg, Kirchhoff Institute for Physics, Im Neuenheimer Feld 227, Heidelberg, 69120 Germany.
authors: Annemarie
authors: A
authors: Pucci
authors: University of Heidelberg, Kirchhoff Institute for Physics, Im Neuenheimer Feld 227, Heidelberg, 69120 Germany.
authors: Arthur
authors: A
authors: Schönhals
authors: University of Heidelberg, Kirchhoff Institute for Physics, Im Neuenheimer Feld 227, Heidelberg, 69120 Germany.
authors: Jochen
authors: J
authors: Vogt
authors: University of Heidelberg, Kirchhoff Institute for Physics, Im Neuenheimer Feld 227, Heidelberg, 69120 Germany.
authors: Wolfgang
authors: W
authors: Petrich
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D007583:Jejunum / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology; D054023:Lasers, Semiconductor; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared / Q000379:methods*