In vivo and ex vivo differentiation between tumor and healthy tissue with a novel macroscale time-domain fluorescence lifetime imaging system: preclinical results

Recent studies demonstrated the added-value of fluorescence lifetime (FLT) imaging in tumor identification to intensity-based imaging. The tauCAM is a novel macroscale FLT imaging system that detects the FLT of a fluorophore by measuring fluorescence in the time-domain. FLT images are made simultaneously to fluorescence intensity- and grayscale reflectance images, under ambient illumination. In vivo imaging in subcutaneous tumor bearing-mice revealed that FLT imaging with the tauCAM provides additional information on environmental parameters between tumor and healthy tissue, for tracers sensitive to their physiological environment. This research emphasizes the importance of fluorophore selection for future (pre-) clinical FLT imaging trials.