Dual-Spectrometer OCT for Noninvasive Imaging of Intestinal Cancers

描述（由申请人提供）：Luminit， LLC提议开发一种创新的双光谱仪光学相干断层扫描（DSOCT）内窥镜，该内窥镜可提供极快速，无创的胃肠道断层扫描（GIT）成像。DSOCT采用创新的双谱仪设计，可自消除自相关干扰，结合傅里叶域OCT，可提供高灵敏度和高分辨率的高速成像，比基于时域OCT的内窥镜成像快得多。使医生可以轻松地在患者体内移动导管探头，获得GIT内部亚层结构的活体和原位成像。在第一阶段，Luminit将通过开发一种原理验证的DSOCT来证明动物结肠上皮/粘膜层高速无创成像的可行性，该DSOCT可提供高达3.5 mm的穿透性，3.5¿m分辨率，110 dB灵敏度和29,000 Hz断层轴向扫描速度。这项研究的成功将导致一种低成本、高分辨率、高速、深度的层析光学成像设备，并随后在临床应用中广泛应用，挽救成千上万患有肠道疾病，特别是结肠直肠癌的美国人的生命。2002年，发生在胃肠道的结直肠癌是第二大最常见的癌症，估计在40至79岁的男性中造成48 100人死亡。结直肠癌的确切病因尚不清楚；然而，诊断测试可以帮助医生找到症状的原因，从而可以早期发现并防止结直肠癌的进一步发展。由于结直肠癌可能在22-25英尺长的胃肠道内的任何地方发展，因此一种新型的无创快速成像技术将非常有价值，并在筛查、识别和诊断结直肠癌和其他肠道癌症方面受到追捧。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Luminit, LLC proposes to develop an innovative Dual-Spectrometer Optical Coherence Tomography (DSOCT) endoscope that offers extremely fast, noninvasive tomographic imaging of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Based on an innovative dual-spectrometer design with self-elimination of autocorrelation interference, combined with Fourier domain OCT, the DSOCT can offer high-speed imaging with the highest sensitivity and resolution, much faster than endoscopy based on time-domain OCT. A fiber-pigtailed micromotor-driven endoscopic mirror catheter probe is attached to the DSOCT system to provide transverse B-scans, so that the doctor can easily move the catheter probe around inside a patient's body and obtain in vivo and in situ imaging of sublayer structures inside the GIT. In Phase I, Luminit will demonstrate the feasibility of high-speed and noninvasive imaging of the epithelium/mucosal layers of an animal colon by developing a proof-of-principle DSOCT that offers up to 3.5 mm penetration, 3.5 ¿m resolution, 110 dB sensitivity, and 29,000 Hz tomographic axial scan speed. The success of this research effort will result in a low-cost, high-resolution, high-speed, in- depth tomographic optical imaging device, and subsequent widespread use in clinical applications, saving tens of thousands of lives of Americans suffering from intestinal diseases, particularly colorectal cancer. In 2002 colorectal cancer developing in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) was the second most common cancer, causing 48,100 estimated deaths among men 40 to 79 years old. The exact causes of colorectal cancer are unknown; however, diagnostic tests can help a doctor find the cause of symptoms, which can lead to early detection and prevent further development of colorectal cancer. Since colorectal cancer may develop anywhere within the GIT, which is 22-25 ft. long, a novel noninvasive and rapid imaging technology would be highly valuable and sought after for screening, identifying, and diagnosing colorectal and other intestinal cancers.