Patent Document ID: 8620409
Application ID: 13057419
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for imaging of tissue, comprising: operatively coupling a dye carrier to a distal end of a fiber optic bundle, the dye carrier comprising at least one fluorescent dye; positioning a portion of the dye carrier in contact with a tissue region of interest of a subject such that at least a portion of the at least one fluorescent dye diffuses into the tissue region of interest; and acquiring a confocal image of the tissue region of interest, wherein the step of acquiring the confocal image of the tissue region of interest comprises: transmitting light into the fiber optic bundle, through the dye carrier, and then into the tissue region of interest to excite the fluorescent dye within the tissue region of interest; receiving light emitted from the excited fluorescent dye within the tissue region of interest, wherein the light emitted from the excited fluorescent dye is emitted through the dye carrier and then into the fiber optic bundle; and processing the received emitted light to form the confocal image of the tissue region of interest.