Open AccessMolecular imaging needles: dual-modality optical coherence tomography and fluorescence imaging of labeled antibodies deep in tissue
Author(s) -
Loretta Scolaro,
Dirk Lorenser,
WendyJulie Madore,
Rodney W. Kirk,
Anne S. Kramer,
George Yeoh,
Nicolas Godbout,
David D. Sampson,
Caroline Boudoux,
Robert A. McLaughlin
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
biomedical optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.362
H-Index - 86
ISSN - 2156-7085
DOI - 10.1364/boe.6.001767
Subject(s) - optical coherence tomography , molecular imaging , fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy , fluorescence , materials science , biomedical engineering , preclinical imaging , optics , medical imaging , tomography , medicine , radiology , physics , in vivo , microbiology and biotechnology , biology
Molecular imaging using optical techniques provides insight into disease at the cellular level. In this paper, we report on a novel dual-modality probe capable of performing molecular imaging by combining simultaneous three-dimensional optical coherence tomography (OCT) and two-dimensional fluorescence imaging in a hypodermic needle. The probe, referred to as a molecular imaging (MI) needle, may be inserted tens of millimeters into tissue. The MI needle utilizes double-clad fiber to carry both imaging modalities, and is interfaced to a 1310-nm OCT system and a fluorescence imaging subsystem using an asymmetrical double-clad fiber coupler customized to achieve high fluorescence collection efficiency. We present, to the best of our knowledge, the first dual-modality OCT and fluorescence needle probe with sufficient sensitivity to image fluorescently labeled antibodies. Such probes enable high-resolution molecular imaging deep within tissue.