Abstract

The lifetime of a f luorophore generally varies in different environments, making the molecule a sensitive indicator of tissue oxygenation, pH, and glucose. However, lifetime measurements are complicated when the f luorophore is embedded in an optically thick, highly scattering medium such as human tissue. We formulate the inverse problem for f luorescence lifetime tomography using diffuse photon density waves, and we demonstrate the technique by deriving spatial images of heterogeneous f luorophore distribution and lifetime, using simulated measurements in heterogeneous turbid media.