Enhanced sensitivity and spatial resolution for in vivo imaging with low-level light-emitting probes by use of biocompatible chemical agents.

We describe a technique that uses biocompatible chemical agents to enhance both the sensitivity and the resolution of in vivo imaging with low-level light-emitting probes. We demonstrate experimentally, with chemiluminescence (CL) imaging in vitro as an example, that the detected intensity of CL from treated 3-mm-thick skin tissue is approximately fivefold stronger than that from untreated skin. The spatial resolution correspondingly increases approximately threefold.