Physiological Imaging: When the Pixel Size Matters

Abstract: With the proliferation of inexpensive CMOS cameras, medical imaging experiences a noticeable influx of new technologies. While anatomical imaging is based on well-established principles of photography, physiological optical imaging is a relatively novel range of technologies that requires considering a new set of technical and physiological aspects. We discuss several factors (binning, spatial frequency sampling, and distance to the target area) indispensable to getting quantifiable and reproducible results, which are the essence of physiological imaging. We also discussed their implications for several commonly used physiological imaging modalities, including hyperspectral/multispectral imaging, fluorescence imaging, and thermography. Physiological imaging technologies are in their infancy. Thus, the proper design, which considers technical and physiological aspects, is paramount to establishing their credibility and driving clinical adoption.