The invention relates for selecting an illumination pattern (1) for a fluorescence molecular tomography (FMT) measurement, comprising the steps of: a) Providing (100) a sample model (3) for a sample (4) to be evaluated using fluorescence molecular tomography, wherein the sample model (3) comprises information about an anatomy of the sample (3), wherein the sample model further comprises an expected fluorophore distribution (2e) spatially associated with the information about the anatomy, b) Determining (100) a plurality of different illumination patterns (1) consisting of illuminated regions and non-illuminated regions of excitation light (60), wherein each illumination pattern (1) of the plurality of illumination patterns (1) is different from the remaining illumination patterns (1) of the plurality of illumination patterns (1), wherein each illumination pattern (1) consists of illumination portions (10) that are surrounded by a non-illumination region, c) For each of the illumination pattern (1) simulating (200) a fluorescence molecular tomography measurement of the sample model (3) with the illumination pattern (1), wherein the simulation is configured to reflect that the sample model (3) is illuminated sequentially with the illumination portions (10) of the illumination pattern (1), d) Reconstructing (202) a fluorophore distribution (2r) in the sample model (3) from each of the simulated measurements, e) Comparing (205) the reconstructed fluorophore distributions (2r) with the expected fluorophore distribution (2e) by means of a score function, wherein the score function determines a score indicative for a correspondence of the reconstructed and the expected fluorophore distribution (2r, 2e), particularly wherein the score decreases with increasing correspondence, f) Selecting (206) the illumination pattern (1) associated to the simulated measurement (200) yielding the score indicating the highest correspondence, g) Performing (300) a measurement of the sample (
