A non-invasive measurement of biological tissue reveals information aboutthe function of that tissue. Polarized light is directed onto the tissue, stimulatingthe emission of fluorescence, due to one or more endogenous fluorophors in thetissue. Fluorescence anisotropy is then calculated. Such measurements of fluorescenceanisotropy are then used to assess the functional status of the tissue, and toidentify the existence and severity of disease states. Such assessment can bemade by comparing a fluorescence anisotropy profile with a known profile of acontrol.
