ABSTRACT

Tissue Optics and Microcirculation Imaging Group, School of Physics, National University of Ire-

land, Galway, Ireland

9.1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321

9.2 Review of Pioneering Modalities towards Dynamic Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 328

9.3 Optical Sectioning Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 338

9.4 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358

9.5 Acknowledgment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 358

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 359

This chapter describes the application of optical imaging techniques to biological tissue, to yield

both qualitative and quantitative metrics of morphological and functional information. An in-depth

narrative proffers reasoning for the diagnostic and prognostic value of such techniques via compa-

rable descriptions of its invasive predecessors. Optical sectioning techniques of both the scattering

and absorption based variety are described. The inherent need for non-invasive imaging modalities

in modern medicine is discussed, in addition to the advantageous applications of their use and cur-

rent limitations affecting performance.