Ultrahigh speed en face OCT capsule for endoscopic imaging

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Imaging
• Gastroenterology

Background:

• Optical coherence tomography (OCT) offers high-resolution in vivo imaging.
• Current endoscopic methods can be invasive and require sedation.
• There is a need for advanced imaging techniques for gastrointestinal tract visualization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and demonstrate a high-speed, 2D distal scanning capsule for OCT imaging.
• To enable depth-resolved and en face OCT visualization in vivo.
• To explore clinical applications in endoscopy and non-endoscopic imaging.

Main Methods:

• A high-speed, 2D distal scanning capsule with a micromotor and pneumatic actuator was developed.
• Optical tracking was used for longitudinal position measurement and image registration.
• Circumferential en face OCT was performed in living swine using a MEMS tunable VCSEL light source at 1300 nm.

Main Results:

• The device achieved a 250 Hz frame rate and 1 MHz A-scan rate.
• High-resolution cross-sectional and en face OCT views of the gastrointestinal tract were generated.
• Both distal pneumatic and proximal manual longitudinal actuation were demonstrated.

Conclusions:

• The developed distal scanning capsule technology enables ultrahigh-speed OCT imaging.
• This technology has potential clinical applications as an adjunct to endoscopy or as a swallowed capsule for non-sedation imaging.
• The system could facilitate both screening and surveillance of the gastrointestinal tract.