Patent ID: 7973925

Claim:
A method for reducing melanin fluorescence from a human tissue sample illuminated by optical radiation, the method comprising: placing an optical window in contact with the human tissue sample, the optical window being substantially transparent to the optical radiation and which is substantially transparent to light that is scattered from the human tissue sample; illuminating the human tissue sample with the optical radiation; detecting a first Raman scattering signal from the human tissue sample, the first Raman scattering signal comprising a first melanin fluorescence signal; interposing a fluid, gel, adhesive or elastomer between and in contact with both the optical window and the human tissue sample, the fluid, gel, adhesive or elastomer comprising a substance that chemically binds to melanin in the human tissue sample thereby reducing a melanin fluorescence yield from the melanin; and detecting a second Raman scattering signal from the human tissue sample, the second Raman scattering signal comprising a second melanin fluorescence signal, wherein the second melanin fluorescence signal is suppressed relative to the first melanin fluorescence signal.