Simultaneous multiwavelength laminar optical tomography.

Spatially resolved reflectance measurements can be used to characterize the depth-resolved optical properties of superficial tissues. However, until now, rapid acquisition of multiwavelength data has been hindered by multiplexing problems. We report on a novel multiwavelength laminar optical tomography system capable of acquiring data from multiple source-detector separations at three wavelengths simultaneously. Such data can allow in vivo depth-resolved spectroscopic imaging of absorbers, such as oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin, or of multiple fluorophores, that is unaffected by motion artifacts at frame rates exceeding 100 Hz. The system design and phantom validation studies are presented.