Fluorescence lifetime imaging: an application to the detection of skin tumors

A portable system based on fluorescence lifetime imaging has been developed and tested for the detection of skin tumors in humans. The Heme precursor δ-aminolevulinic acid, which promotes the preferential accumulation of the endogenous Protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) in proliferative tissues, is used as an exogenous marker to target the tumor, δ-aminolevulinic acid is topically administered to the patient 1 h before the measurement. Then, using a gated intensified camera, two or more images of the sample are acquired after different delays with respect to the excitation pulses. The images are processed in real time in order to calculate the spatial map of the fluorescence decay time of the sample. The localization of the tumor is based on the longer decay time detected in neoplastic tissues as a result of the stronger emission of PpIX, which has a long decay time, and the reduction in the short living natural tissue fluorescence