Functional imaging of animal body by laser transillumination

Near-IR light has relatively high transmittance through a biological body. In addition, the important chromophores such as hemoglobin show characteristic absorption spectra in this near-infrared range. Since the physiological change inside the body is often accompanied by the change of blood volume and the blood oxygenation state, we can obtain the functional change inside a living body in a transillumination image. We have conducted the fundamental study for the possibility of the functional imaging of animal body by a laser transillumination technique.