Optical Coherence Microscopy for Endoscopic Diagnostics

描述(申请人提供)：这项建议的假设是光学相干显微镜(OCM)，光学相干显微镜(OCM)，OCT和共聚焦显微镜的组合，可以实现组织形态的细胞分辨率内窥镜成像，从而显著提高这两种技术中的两种技术对早期肿瘤的内窥镜检测能力。一种内窥镜“光学活检”技术，允许在细胞水平上对癌前病变进行实时活体成像，将允许对传统的切除活检进行图像指导，潜在地减少采样误差并提高灵敏度。其具体目标是：1)发展光学相干显微镜(OCM)技术，用于未染色组织的细胞成像。2)通过体外临床影像研究，探讨OCM在检测人体组织早期肿瘤细胞变化中的作用。3)基于微电子机械系统(MEMS)扫描技术研制用于OCM成像的小型化柔性内窥镜。4)通过活体动物成像实验验证柔性OCM内窥镜的有效性。这些研究结合起来，试图展示内窥镜检测早期肿瘤的基本新进展。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The hypothesis of this proposal is that optical coherence microscopy (OCM), a combination of OCT with confocal microscopy, can enable cellular resolution endoscopic imaging of tissue morphology, thereby dramatically advancing the capabilities of either technique for endoscopic detection of early stage neoplasms. An endoscopic "optical biopsy" technique that allows for real time, in vivo imaging of precancerous changes at the cellular level would allow image guidance of traditional excisional biopsy, potentially reducing sampling error and improving sensitivity. The specific aims are: 1) Develop optical coherence microscopy (OCM) technology for cellular imaging of unstained tissues. 2) Investigate OCM for detecting early neoplastic cellular alterations in human tissues through ex vivo clinical imaging studies. 3) Develop miniaturized flexible endoscopes for OCM imaging based on micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) scanning technology. 4) Validate flexible OCM endoscopes through in vivo animal imaging experiments. These studies combined seek to demonstrate fundamental new advances for endoscopic detection of early stage neoplasms.