Abstract: An apparatus for acquiring time-resolved measurements from a sample from optical scanning comprises pulsed laser light directed to the sample; a first detector disposed to detect the light after exiting from the sample, the detected light being in the form of a first temporal point spread function (TPSF); a first amplifier to amplify the first TPSF; a first analog-to-digital converted (ADC) to directly digitize the first TPSF; a first buffer connected to the first ADC; a time-pickoff detector to initiate the first ADC to digitize the first TPSF; a clock burst generator initiated by the time-pickoff detector to provide conversion timing to the first ADC; and a computer programmed to fit the digitized first TPSF to a theoretical curve to extract its amplitude, and attenuation and scattering coefficients.

Abstract: An optical CT scanner for small laboratory animals comprises a housing having a vertical through opening through which a test subject is passed through during a scanning session, the housing including a peripheral slot disposed around the perimeter of the opening; a movable horizontal table disposed through the opening, the table being split with a horizontal slot aligned with the peripheral slot; a light beam directed toward the peripheral slot and orbitable around the opening; a plurality of collimators directed toward the peripheral slot and orbitable around the opening together with the light beam; a plurality of main photodetectors to detect the light beam after passing through the test subject and the collimators; a perimeter photodetector adapted to provide perimeter data of the test subject during a scanning session; and a first computer programmed to reconstruct an image of the test subject from the output of the perimeter and main photodetectors.