Multispectral photoacoustic imaging of fluorochromes in small animals

Fluorochromes have become essential reporter molecules in biological research. We show that the depth-resolved distribution of fluorochromes in small animals can be imaged with 25 fmol sensitivity and 150 microm spatial resolution by means of multispectral photoacoustic imaging. The major advantage of the multispectral approach is the sensitive differentiation of chromophores and fluorochromes of interest based on self-reference measurements, as evidenced in this study by resolving a commonly used fluorochrome (Alexa Fluor 750) in mouse. The suggested method is well suited for enhancing visualization of functional and molecular information in vivo and longitudinally.