Reduction of noise floor for molecular, fluorescence-enhanced optical imaging

Near infrared fluorescence (NIRF) optical imaging has been successfully demonstrated to offer a high specificity and sensitivity in detecting various diseases. However, the measurement sensitivity of NIRF optical imaging system is limited by strong backscattered excitation light leakage. Herein, appropriate filter combination and collimation optics was adapted to the NIRF optical imager. The sensitivity of near-infrared fluorescence imaging instrumentation can be dramatically improved upon using the appropriate filter combination and collimation optics. This validation and qualification approach to reduce the noise floor and improve sensitivity is presented a standardized metric for all fluorescence based imaging systems proposed.