Near-infrared supercontinuum laser beam source in the second and third near-infrared optical windows used to image more deeply through thick tissue as compared with images from a lamp source.
With the use of longer near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths, image quality can be increased due to less scattering (described by the inverse wavelength power dependence 1/λ(n) where n ≥ 1 ) and minimal absorption from water molecules. Longer NIR windows, known as the second (1100 nm to 1350 nm) and third (1600 to 1870 nm) NIR windows are utilized to penetrate more deeply into tissue media and produce high-quality images. An NIR supercontinuum (SC) laser light source, with wavelengths in the second and third NIR optical windows to image tissue provides ballistic imaging of tissue. The SC ballistic beam can penetrate depths of up to 10 mm through tissue.
City College of the City University of New York, Institute for Ultrafast Spectroscopy and Lasers, and Department of Physics, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, New York 10031, United States.
Laura A
LA
Sordillo
City College of the City University of New York, Institute for Ultrafast Spectroscopy and Lasers, and Department of Physics, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, New York 10031, United States.
Lukas
L
Lindwasser
City College of the City University of New York, Institute for Ultrafast Spectroscopy and Lasers, and Department of Physics, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, New York 10031, United States.
Yury
Y
Budansky
2XLIM-UMR CNRS 7252, Faculte des Sciences et Techniques, 123, Avenue Albert Thomas-87060 Limoges Cedex, France.
Philippe
P
Leproux
City College of the City University of New York, Institute for Ultrafast Spectroscopy and Lasers, and Department of Physics, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, New York 10031, United States.
Robert R
RR
Alfano
D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D007259:Infrared Rays; D007834:Lasers; D061848:Optical Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D012542:Scattering, Radiation