Performance improvements in instrumentation for optical imaging have contributed greatly to molecular imaging in living subjects. In order to advance molecular imaging in freely moving, untethered subjects, we designed a miniature vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL)-based biosensor measuring 1cm(3) and weighing 0.7g that accurately detects both fluorophore and tumor-targeted molecular probes in small animals. We integrated a critical enabling component, a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) read-out integrated circuit, which digitized the fluorescence signal to achieve autofluorescence-limited sensitivity. After surgical implantation of the lightweight sensor for two weeks, we obtained continuous and dynamic fluorophore measurements while the subject was un-anesthetized and mobile. The technology demonstrated here represents a critical step in the path toward untethered optical sensing using an integrated optoelectronic implant.
Keywords: (130.5990) Semiconductors; (130.6010) Sensors; (140.2020) Diode lasers; (170.3890) Medical optics instrumentation; (230.5160) Photodetectors.