Complementary fluorescence-polarization microscopy using division-of-focal-plane polarization imaging sensor

Fluorescence microscopy offers high sensitivity for disease diagnosis. However, little structural information is revealed by this method, requiring another technique to localize the source of fluorescence. We developed a complementary fluorescence-polarization microscope. We used a division-of-focal-plane charge coupled device polarization sensor to enable real-time video rate polarization imaging without any moving parts. The polarization information provided by the microscope enabled detection of structural element and complements the fluorescence information. Application of this multimodal system for cancer imaging using a tumor selective molecular probe revealed the association of diminished structural integrity of tumor tissue with high fluorescence of the imaging agent compared to surrounding normal tissue. This study demonstrates a new paradigm to improve cancer detection and diagnosis. (C) 2012 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). [DOI: 10.1117/1.JBO.17.11.116001]