Normalized fluorescence lifetime imaging for tumor identification and margin delineation

Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) is a technique that has been proven to produce quantitative and qualitative differentiation and identification of substances with good specificity and sensitivity based on lifetime extracted information. This technique has shown the ability to also differentiate between a wide range of tissue types to identify malignant from benign tissue in vivo and ex vivo. However, the complexity, long duration and effort required to generate this information has limited the adoption of these techniques in a clinical setting. Our group has developed a time-resolved imaging system (patent pending) that does not require the extraction of lifetimes or use of complex curve fitting algorithms to display the needed information. The technique, entitled Lifetime Fluorescence Imaging (LFI, or NoFYI), converts fluorescence lifetime decay information directly into visual contrast. Initial studies using Fluorescein and Rhodamine-B demonstrated the feasibility of this approach. Subsequent studies demonstrated the ability to separate collagen and elastin powders. The technique uses nanosecond pulsed UV LEDs at 375 nm for average illumination intensities of ~4.5 μW on the tissue surface with detection by a gated CCD camera. To date, we have imaged 11 surgical head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and brain cancer biopsy specimens including 5 normal and 6 malignant samples. Images at multiple wavelengths clearly demonstrate differentiation between benign and malignant tissue, which was later confirmed by histology. Contrast was obtained between fluorophores with 35 μm spatial resolution and an SNR of ~30 dB allowing us to clearly define tumor margins in these highly invasive cancers. This method is capable of providing both anatomical and chemical information for the pathologist and the surgeon. These results suggest that this technology has a possible role in identifying tumors in tissue specimens and detecting tumor margins during procedures.