Method for identifying optical contrast enhancing agents

DETAILED DESCRIPTION I claim: 1.
A method for identifying optical contrast enhancing agents useful for enhancing the sensitivity of optical detection of a biological material comprising: maintaining at least one sample population of the biological material in one of the following systems: a cell culture system; a tissue culture system; an organ culture system; and an intact organism; exposing the at least one sample population to a candidate optical contrast enhancing agent; illuminating the at least one sample population with electromagnetic radiation (emr); acquiring test data relating to one or more optical properties of the sample population subsequent to exposure to the candidate optical contrast enhancing agent; comparing the test data acquired to comparison data relating to the one or more optical properties of the sample population, the comparison data being derived from empirically determined controls, whereby changes in the one or more optical properties reflected in the test data compared to the comparison data represent the optical contrast enhancing activity of said agent in said sample population; and based on the comparison data, determining if the optical contrast enhancing agent is useful for distinguishing pathological cells or tissue.
2.
A method for identifying optical contrast enhancing agents useful for enhancing the sensitivity of optical detection of a biological material comprising: maintaining at least one sample population of the biological material in one of the following systems: a cell culture system; a tissue culture system; an organ culture system; and an intact organism; exposing the at least one sample population to a candidate optical contrast enhancing agent; illuminating the at least one sample population with electromagnetic radiation (emr) having a wavelength of from 700-2500 nm; acquiring test data relating to one or more optical properties of the sample population subsequent to exposure to the candidate optical contrast enhancing agent; comparing the test data acquired to comparison data relating to the one or more optical properties of the sample population, whereby changes in the one or more optical properties reflected in the test data compared to the comparison data represent the optical contrast enhancing activity of said agent in said sample population; and based on the comparison data, determining if the optical contrast enhancing agent is useful for distinguishing pathological cells or tissue