A method and apparatus for determining a decay time of a luminescence of a sample, comprising the following steps: excitation of a light source by means of an excitation current from a current source; irradiating the sample with a light of a wavelength suitable for exciting luminescence in the sample, periodically varying the irradiation intensity; measuring a light emitted from the sample, generating a first electrical signal in response to the light emitted from the sample, and amplifying the first electrical signal; detecting a first phase difference between the excitation current and the amplified first electrical signal; generating a second electrical signal, wherein the second electrical signal is generated directly from the excitation current of the current source and is subsequently amplified; detecting a second phase difference between the excitation current and the amplified second electrical signal; and determination of the decay time of the sample's luminescence based on a phase difference between the excitation current and the sample's light emission.

An apparatus may include a platen, an electromagnetic interference (EMI)-reducing system including a first EMI-reducing layer, a light source system and a receiver system. The light source system may include a light-emitting component, light source system circuitry and a light guide system and may be configured to emit light through the first EMI-reducing layer to a first platen area via a light pipe between the first EMI-reducing layer and the platen. The light guide system may include a light-directing element for directing light from the first EMI-reducing layer to the light pipe. The receiver system may be configured to detect acoustic waves corresponding to a photoacoustic response of a target object in contact with the first platen area to light emitted by the light source system. The first EMI-reducing layer may reduce a level of EMI emitted by the light source system circuitry that is received by receiver system circuitry.

A method for fluorescence imaging tomography includes placing at least one subject on an imaging platform. The method further includes controlling light emanating from a light source to project an illumination pattern comprising at least one line onto the at least one subject. The method further includes acquiring, at a plurality of locations on a detector, light intensity values at excitation wavelengths resulting from the projecting of the illumination pattern onto the at least one subject. The method further includes acquiring, at the plurality of locations on the detector, light intensity values at emission wavelengths resulting from a fluorescence response of fluorescent sources within the at least one subject to the projecting of the illumination pattern the at least one subject. The method further includes generating an image of the fluorescent sources within the at least one subject based on the acquired light intensity values and outputting the image.