A nervous tissue imaging system and a method therefor. The system includes: a housing containing an excitation light source, optically coupled with a source optical train, the excitation light source emits excitation light in a first wavelength range, which can be in a near ultraviolet light range, to illuminate a tissue region of interest including healthy nervous tissue and healthy non-nervous tissue. The excitation light in the first wavelength range causes the healthy nervous tissue, in response to being illuminated with the excitation light, to endogenously autoflouresce and emit first autofluorescence light at a first luminance in a second wavelength range. The healthy non-nervous tissue, in response to being illuminated with the excitation light, either avoids emitting any autofluorescence light in the second wavelength range; or endogenously autoflouresces and emits second autofluorescence light in the second wavelength range at a second luminance that is lower than the first luminance.
