Development of a confocal endoscope for gastrointestinal cancer diagnosis

近年来，各种光学显微镜技术已经发展起来，用于对生物组织进行无损成像，包括光学相干层析成像、反射式共聚焦显微镜、荧光模式共聚焦显微镜和多光子激发显微镜。每种成像方式都有自己的优缺点。**此前，共聚焦显微镜在皮肤癌成像方面取得了进展，**在其他癌症诊断方面也显示出了潜力。然而，将共焦成像**模式转移到内窥镜应用是具有挑战性的，因为必须开发微型导管探头**以通过直径为几**毫米的内窥镜仪器通道。在这项研究中，我们的目标是使用MEMES(微电子机械**系统)技术来制造一种微型共聚焦光学探头，它将产生组织学**断面图像和活体组织的3D图像，用于胃肠道癌症的诊断**。

In recent years, various optical microscopy techniques have been developed for nondestructive**imaging of biological tissues, including optical coherence tomography, reflectancemode**confocal microscopy, fluorescence-mode confocal microscopy, and multiphoton**excitation microscopy. Each imaging modality has its own advantages and disadvantages.**Previously, confocal microscopy has shown progress in skin cancer imaging and**demonstrated potential in other cancer diagnosis. However, moving confocal imaging**modalities into endoscopy applications is challenging in that miniaturized catheter probes**have to be developed to pass through the endoscope instrument channel that is a few**millimeter diameter in size. In this research, we aim to use MEMES (Microelectromechanical**Systems) technology to make a miniature confocal optical probe that will produce histologylike**cross sectional images and 3D images of tissue in vivo for GI (gastrointestinal) cancer**diagnosis.