Pulse-sampling FLIM in medical applications

This presentation overviews multispectral pulse-sampling fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (PS-FLIM) techniques for label-free in vivo characterization of biological tissues. We present studies demonstrating the seamless integration of PS-FLIM in various clinical scenarios, including surgical oncology and interventional cardiology. Emphasis is placed on the integration of PS-FLIM in three major applications: 1) surgical robotics for intraoperative delineation of surgical margins, 2) neuronavigational systems for image-guided neurosurgery, and 3) multimodal intracoronary catheters for cardiovascular diagnostics and image-guided coronary interventions. We present studies conducted in vivo in patients undergoing brain cancer and head-and-neck cancer surgery, as well as in large animal models (in vivo swine heart) subject to catheterization procedures. Current results underscore the potential of PS-FLIM as a tool for intraprocedural tissue diagnostics and image-guided interventions.