Advancing Non-Invasive Optical Imaging for Biological Systems

The Common Fund Advancing Non-Invasive Optical Imaging Approaches for Biological Systems (NIOI) Venture Initiative aims to develop next-generation optical imaging techniques capable of significantly deeper imaging at high resolution in both time and space in living tissues. The advancements to optical imaging through NIOI are expected to considerably enhance our understanding of complex biological processes, improve disease diagnosis, and facilitate ongoing health monitoring, ultimately transforming clinical decision-making. Current optical imaging methods, despite their non-invasive nature, struggle with limited imaging depth due to strong light scattering, which is when light hits particles or uneven surfaces in a material, causing it to bounce around in different directions. The NIOI Initiative seeks to overcome these limitations through technology development that will allow light to deeply image tissue non-invasively. Enhanced imaging techniques can make possible earlier detection of health conditions, more precise evaluation of cellular and tissue health, and advancements in non-invasive procedures to replace surgery.