Optical Active Molecules used as Molecular Contrast Agents for Enhanced Imaging

A novel technique aimed at increasing the image contrast of a structure surrounded by a scattering medium, using optically active molecules as molecular contrast agents, is presented. Specifically, enhanced target detection was obtained by doping the surrounding medium with molecular contrast agents, consisting of aqueous glucose molecules, in conjunction to advanced polarimetric imaging techniques. The outcome of this study opens new horizons in the areas of molecular imaging, early disease detection and cancer identification.