Final Report Summary - 3D3CSI (Three-dimensional clinical coherent chemically-sensitive imaging)
We demonstrate a simple novel one-laser approach to combined broadband Fourier transform coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (FT CARS) microscopy and Ultrahigh resolution optical coherence tomography (UHR OCT) for cost-effective multimodal imaging. CARS microscopy is a powerful method for imaging because of its non-invasiveness and selective chemical sensitivity. However, its full potential for species-selective imaging is limited by speed, sensitivity, photodamage, non-resonant background and tissue penetration depth. OCT synergistically complements CARS with extremely high speed and sensitivity permitting real-time dynamic volumetric imaging of scattering tissue. High resolution background free FT CARS and UHR OCT are performed enabling extraction of full chemical and morphological information from unknown structures within complex samples.
A single ultrabroad bandwidth Ti: Sapphire laser is tailored to meet the requirements for CARS and OCT where bandwidth coverage of more than 4 000 cm-1 for CARS to be capable of imaging from fingerprint to CH-stretch region together with a flat spectral density profile for OCT (modulations less than 2 dB) are essential. We demonstrate this multimodal CARS / OCT system in thick phantoms and biological specimen.
A single ultrabroad bandwidth Ti: Sapphire laser is tailored to meet the requirements for CARS and OCT where bandwidth coverage of more than 4 000 cm-1 for CARS to be capable of imaging from fingerprint to CH-stretch region together with a flat spectral density profile for OCT (modulations less than 2 dB) are essential. We demonstrate this multimodal CARS / OCT system in thick phantoms and biological specimen.
