Abstract
We study quantitatively the potential of a fluorescence diffuse optical tomography system for in vivo molecular imaging on small animals. Using numerical simulations of signal sensitivities based on the Radiative Transfer Equation, a noise model and a Cramér-Rao statistical analysis, we deduce a lower bound for the depth resolution in brain imaging through the skull structure. Our approach provides a methodology to determine the resolution limits of fluorescence imaging setups and therefore should have broad practical applications.
© 2008 Optical Society of America
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