System and method for dynamic optical contrast imaging
A method for imaging tissue is provided. The method includes illuminating a target tissue via a light-emitting diode. The method further includes acquiring a plurality of timed images of the target tissue including an excitation image corresponding to an excitation state of the light-emitting. Additionally, the method includes generating a relative lifetime map of the target tissue based on the plurality of timed images.
1 . A system for intraoperative imaging, the system comprising:
a camera;
a light-emitting diode; and
a processor in communication with the camera and the light-emitting diode, the processor configured to:
illuminate a target tissue via the light-emitting diode;
acquire, via the camera, a plurality of timed images of the target tissue including multiple excitation images acquired during an excitation state of the light-emitting diode and multiple decay images acquired during a decay state of the light-emitting diode; and
generate a relative lifetime map of the target tissue based on the plurality of timed images.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of timed images further comprises a calibration image and a background image, the calibration image corresponding to a steady-state of the light-emitting diode and the background image corresponding to an average detected signal when the light-emitting diode is not illuminated.
3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to generate the relative lifetime map by calculating a total signal image, and wherein:
total
signal
image
=
(
calibration
image
-
excitation
image
)
(
calibration
image
-
background
image
)
+
(
decay
image
-
background
image
)
(
calibration
image
-
background
image
)
.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the excitation state of the light-emitting diode occurs for 1 to 10 nanoseconds.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to acquire the plurality of timed images while background lighting is delivered to the target tissue from a lighting source that is distinct from the light-emitting diode.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to acquire the plurality of timed images and generate the relative lifetime map in real-time.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the relative lifetime map includes a boundary on the target tissue, the boundary identifying cells having a first property from cells having a second property.
8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the first property corresponds to cells having a first physiologic process and the second property corresponds to cells having a second physiologic process.
9 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a user display in communication with the processor, wherein the processor is further configured to output the relative lifetime map to the user display.
10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to illuminate and acquire the plurality of timed images of in-vivo tissue.
11 . A method for intraoperative imaging, the method comprising:
acquiring a background image of a target tissue;
activating a light-emitting diode;
acquiring multiple excitation image, §, of the target tissue illuminated by the light-emitting diode, wherein the excitation images are acquired during an excitation state of the light-emitting diode;
acquiring a calibration image of the target tissue illuminated by the light-emitting diode, the calibration image corresponding to a steady-state of the light-emitting diode;
acquiring multiple decay images of the target tissue illuminated by the light-emitting diode, wherein the decay image are acquired during a decay state of the light-emitting diode; and
calculating a total signal image based on the background image, the excitation images, the calibration image, and the decay images.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein calculating the total signal image comprises:
total
signal
image
=
(
calibration
image
-
excitation
image
)
(
calibration
image
-
background
image
)
+
(
decay
image
-
background
image
)
(
calibration
image
-
background
image
)
.
13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the light-emitting diode remains in the excitation state for 1 to 10 nanoseconds.
14 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising generating a relative lifetime map of the target tissue using the total signal image.
15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising displaying the relative lifetime map in real-time.
16 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising identifying an abnormal portion of the target tissue via the relative lifetime map.
17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the background image is acquired when the light-emitting diode is not activated.
18 . A method for imaging tissue, the method comprising:
illuminating a target tissue via a light-emitting diode;
acquiring a plurality of timed images of the target tissue including multiple excitation images acquired during an excitation state of the light-emitting; and
generating a relative lifetime map of the target tissue based on the plurality of timed images.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of timed images of the target tissue includes:
a calibration image corresponding to a steady-state of the light-emitting diode;
a decay image corresponding to a decay state of the light-emitting diode; and
a background image corresponding to an inactive state of the light-emitting diode.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the relative lifetime map corresponds to a total signal image, and wherein:
total
signal
image
=
(
calibration
image
-
excitation
image
)
(
calibration
image
-
background
image
)
+
(
decay
image
-
background
image
)
(
calibration
image
-
background
image
)
.
21 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of timed images are acquired by imaging the target tissue in vivo.