We have developed a new technique, fluorescence differential path length spectroscopy (FDPS), that enables the quantitative investigation of fluorophores in turbid media. FDPS measurements are made with the same probe geometry as differential path length spectroscopy (DPS) measurements. Phantom measurements are performed for two fiber diameters (400 μm and 800 μm) and for a wide range of optical properties (μ s ′: 0 to 10 mm -1; μ a: 0 to 2 mm -1) to investigate the influence of the optical properties on the measured differential fluorescence signal. The differential fluorescence signal varies by a factor of 1.4 and 2.2 over the biologically relevant scattering range (0.5 to 5 mm -1) for a given fluorophore concentration for 400 μm and 800 μm fibers, respectively. The differential fluorescence signal is attenuated due to absorption at the excitation wavelength following Lambert-Beer's law with a path length equal to the differential path length.

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doi.org/10.1117/1.2992132, hdl.handle.net/1765/69806
Journal of Biomedical Optics
Department of Radiation Oncology

Amelink, A., Kruijt, B., Robinson, D., & Sterenborg, D. (2008). Quantitative fluorescence spectroscopy in turbid media using fluorescence differential path length spectroscopy. Journal of Biomedical Optics, 13(5). doi:10.1117/1.2992132